Ever since his appearance was promised during the post-credits scene for Deadpool, anticipation surrounding the big screen debut of Cable in next year's Deadpool 2 has been high. Rumors and various reports have named such actors as Pierce Brosnan, Russell Crowe, and David Harbour as being among the potential candidates circling the role, at some point or another in time. Rob Liefeld - the creator of both Deadpool and Cable - previously tweeted that Cable was "The hottest role in Hollywood."
While Deadpool himself claimed that all the actor playing Cable needed was to be a big guy with a flattop haircut, the truth is that Cable is far more complex than just his looks. He needs to be someone who can go toe to toe mentally and physically with characters like Wolverine, or Deadpool himself. Not everyone can keep up with Deadpool's signature wit and non-stop banter, after all. The actor who plays the role has to.
It now appears that a new frontrunner for the Cable role has emerged. It was previously reported that Oscar-nominee Michael Shannon was considered for Cable, but is no longer in the running. However, the latest update on the matter indicates that Shannon may instead wind up securing the coveted Deadpool 2 role for himself.
According to THR, Shannon is at the top of the current shortlist of actors being looked at for the Cable role in the Deadpool sequel. He does not have the part yet, and other actors - including Harbour - are still being considered. However, given that the Deadpool 2 writers promised Cable casting news is coming soon, Shannon being at the top of the list is certainly telling.
Shannon is no stranger to comic book movies, having played Zod in Man of Steel and Dr. Cross Williams in Jonah Hex. Recently he was Oscar nominated for his role in Nocturnal Animals.
Whether Shannon ends up playing Cable, or if the role goes to someone else instead, they are not signing on for just Deadpool 2. As with many of the comic book films being made right now, Deadpool is part of a bigger universe. Aside from being a spin-off of the X-Men franchise, Deadpool 3 and X-Force are both in the works as well. Signing on to play Cable is a big commitment; though considering the popularity of the role and the success of Deadpool, almost certainly a worthwhile one.
Source: THR
