Deadpool 2
Deadpool 2 is a 2018 American superhero film directed by David Leitch, serving as a direct sequel to the 2016 film Deadpool and the eleventh installment in the X-Men film series based on the Marvel Comics character. The Deadpool films, including this sequel, form a trilogy concluded with Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), which incorporates the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film stars Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, a wisecracking, regenerating mercenary who, after personal tragedy, forms a superhero team called X-Force—including Domino (Zazie Beetz), Cable (Josh Brolin), and others—to protect a young mutant named Russell (Julian Dennison) from the time-traveling cyborg Cable.[1][2] Written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds, with additional contributions from Joby Harold, the screenplay builds on the first film's irreverent tone, blending action, comedy, and meta-humor while exploring themes of family and redemption.[3] Key supporting cast includes Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Stefan Kapičić voicing Colossus, and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, with Terry Crews and Karan Soni in smaller roles.[3] Produced by 20th Century Fox with a budget of $110 million, Deadpool 2 premiered at Leicester Square in London on May 10, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on May 18, 2018.[4][5] The film received praise for its humor, action sequences, and Reynolds' performance, earning an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 416 reviews, though some critics noted it fell short of the original's freshness.[1] Commercially, it was a major success, opening to $125.5 million domestically—setting records for R-rated films—and grossing $324.6 million in North America and $461.8 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $786.4 million.[4] It garnered nominations at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and Saturn Awards.[6]Overview
Plot
Two years after the events of the first film, Wade Wilson, known as Deadpool, continues his work as a mercenary while in a relationship with Vanessa. On their anniversary, Wade returns home late after failing to kill a target, leading to an intimate moment interrupted by the vengeful criminal he previously incarcerated, who shoots and kills Vanessa.[7] Devastated by grief, Wade attempts suicide multiple times but survives due to his regenerative healing factor. His friend Colossus intervenes, bringing him to the X-Mansion to join the X-Men and find purpose as a hero. During an X-Men recruitment mission with Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead—who is revealed to be in a romantic relationship with her girlfriend Yukio—Wade encounters Russell Collins, a young mutant orphan with pyrokinetic abilities who endures abuse at the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation.[7][8] Later, Wade visits the orphanage to mentor Russell, but when Russell attempts to incinerate the abusive headmaster, Wade intervenes to prevent the murder, resulting in both being arrested and imprisoned in a high-security facility. There, Cable—a cybernetically enhanced mutant soldier from a dystopian future—arrives using time-travel technology to assassinate Russell, motivated by a vision where the boy grows into the terrorist Firefist, who kills Cable's wife and daughter. Throughout these events, Wade frequently breaks the fourth wall, addressing the audience directly with meta-commentary on the story and his circumstances.[7][8] Wade steals a time-travel collar from Cable during a prison brawl, which disrupts Cable's ability to return to the future. To protect Russell, Wade assembles the vigilante team X-Force, including the luck-manipulating mutant Domino, as well as Bedlam, Shatterstar, Zeitgeist, and the ordinary Peter. The team intercepts Cable during an aerial pursuit, but most members perish in a mid-air explosion caused by Cable's grenades. Surviving members, including Domino—who demonstrates her probability-altering powers by improbably evading dangers—join forces with Negasonic and Yukio to break Wade and Russell out of prison.[7][9] The group heads to the orphanage for a confrontation, where Russell, embracing his Firefist persona, releases the powerful mutant Juggernaut as an ally. In the ensuing battle, Wade fights Juggernaut while trying to dissuade Russell from his path of vengeance. Cable attacks Russell to avert the future tragedy, but Wade sacrifices himself by shielding the boy and taking fatal shots to the head. However, Cable observes that Russell's refusal to kill has altered the timeline, sparing his family; he then uses the device's final energy to travel back moments earlier, arming Wade with a skewer to deflect the bullets and save both their lives.[7][8] In the resolution, with the time device repaired, Wade travels back to prevent Vanessa's death, restoring their life together. He also briefly intervenes in the past to eliminate an earlier version of himself from a botched audition, ensuring a cleaner history, before reuniting with his friends and surrogate family, including Russell, in a celebratory gathering that emphasizes themes of redemption and chosen family.[7][9]Cast
The principal cast of Deadpool 2 features Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as the titular anti-hero, alongside new additions that expand the ensemble of mutants and supporting characters. The film emphasizes a mix of returning X-Force affiliates and original figures, with performances highlighting the chaotic interpersonal dynamics among the group.| Actor | Role | Character Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Reynolds | Wade Wilson / Deadpool | A wisecracking, regenerating mercenary with a regenerative healing factor and combat expertise, known for breaking the fourth wall.[2][10] |
| Josh Brolin | Nathan Summers / Cable | A grizzled time-traveler from a dystopian future, equipped with cybernetic enhancements, telepathy, and telekinesis; Brolin provided motion capture for the role, similar to his work as Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[3][11][12] |
| Zazie Beetz | Neena Thurman / Domino | A skilled mercenary mutant whose probability-altering powers manifest as uncanny luck in battles and high-stakes situations.[2][13] |
| Morena Baccarin | Vanessa Carlysle | Deadpool's devoted girlfriend and moral anchor, a resilient civilian without superpowers who supports his chaotic lifestyle.[3][14] |
| Brianna Hildebrand | Ellie Phimister / Negasonic Teenage Warhead | A sarcastic teenage mutant capable of generating explosive energy blasts and concussive forces.[2] |
| Julian Dennison | Russell Collins / Firefist | An overweight, foul-mouthed young mutant inmate with pyrokinetic powers, seeking belonging among other mutants.[3][15] |