Leslie Jones is having a moment. The comedy veteran went from “Angry Subway Patron” in Trainwreck to Ghostbusters breakout in under a year, solidifying herself as a Hollywood frontrunner. She’s proven her reputation off-screen, too: her live tweets on the summer Olympics were arguably better than the events themselves, and her presidential debate commentary added much needed levity to an exhausting campaign season.
Jones has picked up plenty of major roles since, most recently starring in Jared Hess’ (Napoleon Dynamite) Masterminds alongside all-stars Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon, Jason Sudeikis, and Zach Galifianakis. She’s next set to appear in animated kids flick Illumination, but she’s also eyeing something a lot less family-friendly: Deadpool.
On Wednesday, Jones took to her famous Twitter feed to tweet at the Merc with a Mouth himself, Ryan Reynolds, saying "I want to be in deadpool. I could be smart mouth side kick. And my power would be loudness!!” The request wasn’t totally random: Entertainment Weekly announced Reynolds as their entertainer of the year on Monday morning, and one commenter in particular took issue with it, arguing that Jones had "won Twitter" in 2016. Jones, however, felt otherwise, saying “I’m sorry I agree he is dope,” before then making her request for a role in Deadpool 2.
@VancityReynolds I want to be in deadpool. I could be smart mouth side kick. And my power would be loudness!!— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) December 7, 2016
Jones has a clear affinity for sharp-witted humor, but could she tackle the darkness that underscores Deadpool’s smart-ass demeanor? It would certainly be refreshing to see Jones broaden her on-screen horizons so early on in her rise, and seeing her as the anti-hero’s loud, sassy sidekick wouldn’t be a stretch from her online persona. On Jones’s end, it could be a brilliant career move. Superhero movies are very of-the-moment, and Deadpool was one of 2016’s biggest hits across genres. It earned a staggering $782 million worldwide and fast became the X-Men universe’s highest-grossing film of all time.
Still, its sequel has experienced a rocky pre-production, which may throw off its success the second time around. Director Tim Miller made a sudden exit in October, leading composer Junkie XL to call it quits, too. John Wick’s David Leitch has since been confirmed to helm, but a little more star power couldn’t hurt. After all, Jones has built quite a rabid fan base. Deadpool 2 is rumored to start filming in January, so any last-minute additions need to happen fast. Here’s to hoping Reynolds is down to squeeze her in for a cameo.
Source: Leslie Jones