Why Deadpool 2 Will Blow Everyone Away In 2018

If you're a superhero fan, 2018 already looks to be an exciting year. Black Panther, Flash, and Aquaman are all scheduled for standalone adventures, we should see a sequel to Ant-Man, and there's also a little movie called Avengers: Infinity War. With all these superhero movies on the horizon, it can be difficult predicting which ones will sink or swim. (Hell, Aquaman might do both!)

But one 2018 release is absolutely guaranteed to to rock your world: Deadpool 2. The Merc With a Mouth returns with several fan favorites from the first movie—and the cinematic debut of some more classic comic book characters. Like Deadpool tipping a taxi driver, we've got two crispy high-fives worth of reasons Deadpool 2 will blow everyone away.

Negasonic Teenage Warhead was one of the best surprises from the first Deadpool. The acerbic, moody teenager (played by Brianna Hildebrand) made a hilarious foil for our hero's high-strung comedy, and their relationship helped illustrate his ability to bond with others (while cracking some highly specific Sinead O'Connor jokes).

The good news for Deadpool fans is that Negasonic Teenage Warhead will return for the Deadpool sequel. It's still unclear how expansive her role will be, but it seems a sure bet that she'll continue using a combination of acid wit and explosive powers to keep heroes and villains alike on their toes. It's even possible that the character will let her hair grow out to better resemble the comics character she's named after (though their personalities differ dramatically).

As excited as fans get about the return of their favorite heroes and villains, there's always a sense of ambivalence regarding superhero sequels. Different actors could end up playing your favorite characters, there's different writing, sometimes a different tone...often, it just lacks the spark that made the original so good. One reason to be excited about Deadpool 2, then, is that it's setting out to put unnecessary super-sequels in their place. As producer Simon Kinberg put it, "The sort of glut or saturation of these movies and the proliferation of sequels is definitely something we'll play around with." Even your reluctant friend who can't stand how many superhero sequels and reboots come out each year might get a kick out of this phenomenon being brutally savaged by Deadpool's sarcasm.

As every casual superhero fan knows, the comics world that these movies are based on is as weird as it is complex. While that's true of just about every comic and every comics character, Cable is even weirder and more complex than most.

The nutshell version of his history: he's the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor, who herself was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mr. Sinister. As an infant, Cable was infected by a techno-organic virus and then sent to the future to be raised and, if possible, cured. The adult Cable later travels back from the future to have assorted adventures with Cyclops, the X-Men, and even Deadpool. As the first Deadpool movie teased in its post-credits stinger, the sequel will feature Cable, and this is a major reason to be excited.

Why? Well, the irreverent nature of Deadpool's films means that there probably won't be much of an emphasis on Cable's embarrassingly complex backstory. Instead, he can concentrate on being a gruff, gun-toting future warrior. This should provide a natural foil for Deadpool's wacky, nonsensical humor. Plus, the comics have portrayed these two as developing a special bond, to the point that Cable has trusted Deadpool to help keep his own powers from getting out of control. This movie represents an opportunity to see Deadpool, typically unwilling to formally join a team like the X-Men, develop a genuine friendship and partnership with another superpowered peer.

If you want to get someone excited about Deadpool 2, you only need to use two words: John Wick. After some behind-the-scenes drama that caused Deadpool director Tim Miller to bail on the sequel, the project landed David Leitch as a director. Leitch injected fresh energy into the action genre with the first John Wick, taking a tired premise (a lone warrior out for revenge) and something audiences were sick of (gun-fu Keanu Reeves) and synthesizing them into something new. If Leitch can marry the sleek, sexy, and stylish action of John Wick with the off-the-wall crude, bloody humor of Deadpool, he'll create a superhero movie like nothing we've seen.

While the return of several fan favorites from the first movie is reason enough to be excited for the Deadpool sequel, it's just as exciting to look forward to cinematic introduction of new characters. In addition to bringing Cable to life on the big screen, Deadpool 2 will reportedly also bring in the character of Domino, a mutant with a very special ability that can only be described as "good luck." When she wants something to happen, she can greatly increase the odds. In the comics, she's had several run-ins with Deadpool, though their exact relationship in the upcoming sequel remains unclear.

Domino would make a perfect addition to the Deadpool franchise. Her powers add a built-in excuse for every single improbable bit of luck our characters encounter. For instance, when Grant Morrison was writing X-Men, he created a scene showing Domino jumping out of a very high window; her life was saved because there just happened to be a pool below. That's simply how her powers work, and by teaming her up with Deadpool (a character who seems keenly aware that he's starring in a movie), the filmmakers can provide the ultimate parody of action movies, with one character making the impossible happen via her mutant ability and the other character endlessly commenting on it.

The character of Vanessa completely subverted audience expectations in the first Deadpool movie. Many people expected her to be the stock superhero girlfriend who had very little power or agency. In fact, this is what Olivia Munn thought: she was offered the role, but declined because she didn't want to just be the girlfriend. On the contrary, Vanessa (played by Morena Baccarin) pretty much stole the show in Deadpool. From exchanging increasingly improbable stories of abuse with Deadpool to helping him strap in for International Women's Day, she continuously surprised characters and audiences alike.

Fortunately, she's slated to return for the sequel. While it would be more than enough to see her usual witty spark with Deadpool onscreen again, some comics fans are hoping to see her play a bigger role in the action. In the comics, Vanessa herself is a mutant, codenamed "Copycat" due to her ability to steal the appearance and even powers of other characters. She eventually becomes a mercenary who's able to use her infiltration and mutant powers to devastating effect. Whether we see Vanessa become a woman of many faces or if she just shows up to play skeeball again with Deadpool, her return is reason enough to be excited for this sequel.

To casual fans, it may seem like some of the new additions to the Deadpool sequel were picked at random. After all, the cyborg man from the future, Cable, and the walking luck generator, Domino, seem out of place in the somewhat grounded reality of Deadpool's corner of the X-Men cinematic universe. There's method to the madness, however. In fact, these characters are part of Deadpool's onscreen orbit for a very specific reason: to help lay the foundation for an X-Force film.

Fox is currently working on X-Force, and so far, we don't have many details. However, the X-Force of the comics was formed by Cable as a mutant team that specialized in wetworks. While Xavier preached peace and harmony, Cable and his team were off killing those who threatened that peace and harmony. The initial lineup featured Cable as the leader and Domino as one of his ace soldiers, and now both of these characters are slated to be in Deadpool 2. And while it's not clear whether Cable will end up recruiting the New Mutants as he did in those comics (those characters are already slated to get their own upcoming movie), Deadpool 2 represents your best chance to get a sneak peek at the future.

For better or for worse, we're positively swimming in superhero movies for the foreseeable future. From Warner Bros. entering the game and establishing their own cinematic universe to the unending march of the MCU, it seems like there's always a cape, web, or magic hammer hanging out at your local movie theater. One of the things that made the first Deadpool so funny was the way it relentlessly lampooned these other superhero movies. This included tongue-in-cheek references to the phenomenon of the British bad guy, calling out Hugh Jackman's Australian accent, and Deadpool's glee at seeing Angel do "the superhero landing." And, of course, the meta-mockery of Reynolds' failed Green Lantern movie.

Because of this, one simple reason to be excited about Deadpool 2 is that there are so many more movies to make fun of. Since the first Deadpool, we've seen a lot more superhero action, including Logan, Captain America: Civil War, Batman v. Superman, Doctor Strange, and Suicide Squad. And by the time Deadpool 2 comes out, Spider-Man's first solo MCU movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming, will have been released, as well as the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. Every one of these movies represents another opportunity for Deadpool's trademark sarcasm to shine more of a spotlight on the silliest parts of the superhero media we all know and love.

Everyone's had at least one teacher who insisted that having rules and boundaries can make you more rather than less creative. While that sounded pretty ludicrous when you were a young student, the first Deadpool is pretty much proof of that claim—it was made with a budget of only $58 million. In the world of superhero cinema, where bloated films like Batman v. Superman clock in at budgets of $250 million and beyond, Deadpool was essentially made for chump change. This forced the creative team to put an emphasis on characters, relationships, and humor.

Deadpool 2 co-writer Paul Wernick has insisted the sequel will also be (relatively) cheap. "That's not Deadpool," he said in response to the idea of a $150 million-plus budget. "Deadpool doesn't lift cities up into the air or battle aliens coming down to earth, that's just not Deadpool." Taking this interview at face value, it means the sequel will see a continued focus on humor, relationships, and relatively low-stakes action—great news for those of us who really appreciated the character-driven original.

In the first Deadpool, we see the title character do some pretty crazy things. He survives bullets to the ass, regrows his hand, and even manages to make the band Wham! sound cool again. However, Deadpool's most impressive feat may just be that his film turned Colossus into an entertaining character. In the comics he comes from, Colossus is a complex character: an artist, a family man, and somebody who occasionally questions his morality as well as that of his fellow X-Men. In previous live-action incarnations, such as X-Men 2 and Days of Future Past, he's pretty much been reduced to "metal guy who hits other guys." The Deadpool movie turned him into a powerful-but-goofy embodiment of Xavier's dream, a natural counterpoint to Deadpool's mercenary instincts.

Fortunately, Colossus will return in Deadpool 2. It's exciting to imagine his role. He may, for instance, still be the reluctant sidekick caught up in Deadpool's adventures. Or he may be protecting Xavier's school from attack. Or, perhaps least likely, he may finally convince Deadpool to join the X-Men. Whatever happens, it's fun to imagine Colossus once again chiding Deadpool for his violence and vulgarity, even as the audience continues to cheer for a superhero (and superhero movie) that pushes the envelope.

A final reason you'll fall in love with Deadpool 2 is also the most recent. Fans who've seen Logan in the theater were treated to the most teasing of teasers—a Deadpool 2 promo that initially disguised itself as the beginning of the Logan movie.

Deadpool sees a man being violently assaulted and goes into a nearby phone booth to change into his costume—a change that takes forever, all while ironic Superman theme music plays and the assault victim loudly wonders why no one who can hear him is doing anything. Fun trailer details include a prominent Firefly poster (possibly hinting at Nathan Fillion's involvement with Deadpool 2), a Stan Lee cameo, and a wonderfully vulgar bit of graffiti that reads "Nathan Summers is cumming," which references Cable's real name. It all offers solid assurances that the original's violence, humor, and self-deprecating humor remain in force—and fans are more excited than ever.