Tim Miller Explains Leaving Deadpool 2

Tim Miller is breaking his silence about his exit from directing Deadpool 2. Marking his directing debut with Deadpool in 2016, Miller immediately became a hot property in Hollywood following the blistering success of the film, which made $363 million domestically and $420 million overseas for a global cume of $783 million – a staggering amount considering the film's R rating.

Naturally, with those sorts of box office numbers, Miller and Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds proceeded in the development of the sequel, and plans included bringing famed Marvel character Cable aboard for the second solo film about the Merc with a Mouth. However, all the momentum the film had following its February 2016 release came to a screeching halt eight months later when Miller left Deadpool 2 over reported creative differences with Reynolds, including a disagreement over who should play Cable.

Related: Deadpool 2 & New Mutants Have Reportedly Wrapped Production

Now, nearly a year after Miller's sudden departure from the Deadpool sequel, Miller is discussing some of the reasons why he abruptly left the film. During a conversation in a panel with THR to discuss his upcoming directing gig for filmmaker James Cameron's vision for the continuation of the Terminator franchise, Miller explained that one of the reasons for his departure came down to the opportunity to tell different stories. Baring no apparent ill-will for Deadpool 2 (which is under the helm of John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch), Miller says:

"I felt like there was more stories (for Deadpool) to tell there, but I’m happy that somebody else is telling them. There was a sense of relief in that I get to do something new versus Deadpool 2. I think it would’ve been a great movie, but it was also going to be a continuation of what we had done. This really gave me a chance to do something new."

Even though the Terminator franchise has been chronicled through five movies, Miller is approaching his director's chores on the film as a fresh opportunity - the big difference being that the new Terminator film is going to be a direct sequel to T2: Judgment Day, and that the three films after that have been given a designation of an alternate timeline. "I feel like there was so much more to be done with these characters," he says.

In another revelation, Miller appears to say that doing the Terminator film was something he was planning on while he was still working on Deadpool 2. He says:

"I mean, I wanted to make Deadpool 2. I was going to do that, until I wasn't. So, there was that, which took up about seven months of my time. But even then, David [Ellison, who has the rights to the Terminator franchise] and I were talking, like after Deadpool 2, it was going to be this [Terminator]."

No matter the case, it feels like things are going to work out just fine for all parties involved in both Deadpool 2 and the new Terminator film. Leitch, who proved he has an incredible handle on action filmmaking as the co-director of John Wick, seems to making all the right moves to make Deadpool 2 a success with the casting of Josh Brolin as Cable, etc.; and Miller – who clearly showed he has a gift directing Deadpool – is getting a rare opportunity to direct a film in a legendary film franchise under the guidance of an iconic filmmaker with Cameron.

Best of all, Miller and Reynolds seem to remain on good terms. Addressing Miller's exit from Deadpool 2, Reynolds said of the director: "I'm sad to see him off the film. Tim's brilliant and nobody worked harder on Deadpool than he did."