TheDeadpoolmovies are still enjoying a bizarre atmosphere of disbelief. It remains shocking that anyone got the first movie off the ground. Not because it’s a bad idea, but because modern superhero studios hate anything even moderately unique. The second entry brought characters like Cable and Domino onto the big screen for the first time.Deadpool & Wolverine’s shocking accomplishment is bringing Hugh Jackman back, but could they have brought Cable along for a second attempt?
Marvel movies have an unfortunate habit of shoving every notable name into a film to sell tickets.Wade Wilson’s second-favorite frenemy, Peter Parker, will struggle with this issue in whatever comes afterNo Way Home. Quality only partially dictates which superhero projects succeed and fail financially. Novelty can fill in the cracks, prompting Marvel to routinely drop cameos without thinking them through.Deadpool & Wolverinewill undoubtedly feature countless returning figures from other movies, but some of its omissions raise fascinating questions.
Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds
May 18th, 2018
Runtime
119 Minutes
Josh Brolin portrayedCable inDeadpool 2. He’s a time-traveling super soldier with a cybernetic arm. Deadpool teased his appearance in the first film’s post-credits scene. Wade Wilson’s effervescent personality clashes well with several other comic book icons, many of whom wind up forming compelling double-acts with the Merc with a Mouth. While the first entry sees Deadpool bounce off stern father figure Colossus and snarky critic Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Cable appears as a more straightforward narrative foil. Their personalities are diametrically opposed, but their goals gradually align. The conflict is excellent, but it’s a two-sided coin. They’re more than the classic “guy who can kill anything meets theguy who can’t die.” They’re two man-shaped coping strategies struggling to reconcile with each other.
Cable arrives in the narrativeviaTerminatortime tunnel. He escapes a broken future, leaving behind the ashes of everything he ever loved in a desperate bid to fix things. The object of his hatred is an all-powerful mutant in the future, but seeing him as a frightened, wounded, and abused teen does nothing to change his opinion. Cable’s philosophy is somewhat utilitarian. His logic is somewhat sound, willingly sacrificing the life of one child to save millions. However, a closer examination reveals nothing more complex than vengeance. It feels like a throwaway line when Cable compares Deadpool to his late wife. It comes complete with a gag about lip balm during a scene involvingRyan Reynolds' regeneratinglower half. It’s an admission that Cable wants what Deadpool has. His commitment to his task is unwavering, but the tiny light of heroism within him still carries him into his final scene. The movie is about broken people finding solace in each other, and Cable has perhaps the longest path to walk before reaching that destination.
Will Cable be inDeadpool 3?
Cable does not appear to be inDeadpool & Wolverine. While he hasn’t openly guaranteed that he will not appear in the film, his comments on the matter seem to suggest that. While they could still be hiding a cameo appearance, the known cast list doesn’t include Josh Brolin.Zazie Beetz, who portrayed Dominoin the previous entry, stated she wouldn’t return. Cable could have returned in the planned X-Force movie, a spinoff fromDeadpool 2. Disney canceled that project and all other X-Men films when they acquired 20th Century Fox, placing that potential follow-up on ice. Cable could conceivably come back in a later MCU piece, but no one has mentioned it so far.
Is there room for Cable inDeadpool 3?
While it would be nice to see Brolin’s Cable again, and a cameo is certainly not out of the question, his appearance isn’t strictly necessary in this film.Deadpool & Wolverinewilllikely be unique in several ways, but its central dynamic has some familiar elements. The trailers depict Wade and Logan meeting under strange circumstances, fighting, bickering, and reluctantly working together. While the character nuances will definitely be different, this is the same basic back and forth as inDeadpool 2. Wolverine is the new Cable, in the sense that he’ll be Deadpool’s serious comic foil. Cable can’t retake his previous role, because there’s an angry Canadian in it now.
Cable would be a great addition to the massive ensemble cast ofDeadpool & Wolverine. He cannot, however, do what hedid inDeadpool 2. Cable’s performance was perfect for the role he starred in. It would be much less satisfying to see him return for little more than a callback. If Disney ever resurrects the X-Force pitch, that would be a great new avenue for Cable. Unfortunately, Cable seems to have chosen the wrong timeline to stay in.
