The Ryan Reynolds fronted Deadpool was the breakout superhero success story of 2016, generating $783.1 million worldwide to become the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time. It's also garnered plenty of awards buzz, winning big at the Critics Choice Awards and a nomination for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. This unprecedented success has led to the suggestion that Deadpool could be a serious Oscar contender, despite its deliberate irreverence and some strong, more conventional competition in the form of Damien Chazelle's acclaimed musical La La Land (and several other dramas). In the face of all this hype, momentum is already building for Deadpool 2, which is due to begin shooting in June 2017.

Deadpool poked fun at the formulaic nature of superhero movies, culminating in a quirky post-credits sting which claimed outright that Cable would be appearing in the sequel. Rumors have circulated ever since as to who could play the telepathic warrior, and now a former James Bond could be in the mix.

Ryan Reynolds has added to the rumor mill with a new Instagram post featuring himself, Hugh Jackman, and Pierce Brosnan hanging out. The nature of the meeting is uncertain, with the three actors striking a 'hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil' pose, which suggests that they won't be elaborating any time soon. Hugh Jackman later circulated another image from the meeting on Twitter, following up on a series of images from his upcoming standalone X-Men movie Logan. You can check out the pictures below:

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#wolverinebonddeadpool pic.twitter.com/AjOGdXtElX— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) January 17, 2017

The gathering comes shortly after the news that Cable's notoriously convoluted backstory will be cut from Deadpool 2, in favor of something more streamlined. Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese discussed the villain, suggesting that the twists and turns of his origin story will be distilled down, while remaining authentic and faithful to the character. A host of actors have been recommended to play Cable, and while Pierce Brosnan wasn't the most obvious choice, he certainly fulfills the grizzled, action-hero credentials of the role. Brosnan is most recognizable as 007, having played James Bond in the '90s and early 2000s. Brosnan's Bond was particularly suave and slick, however, preceding the gritty Daniel Craig reboot of the franchise.

Previous rumors have focused primarily on the essential aspects of the character, namely his physicality and gruffness. Brosnan however could offer something much more valuable and applicable to the unique approach of Deadpool. Some of the most celebrated elements of the first movie were the meta moments in which Wade Wilson addressed the audience, particularly when he drew attention to the movie as a fabrication. He openly addressed production issues and the notoriously tricky journey of the movie itself. Pierce Brosnan's work as James Bond is ripe with comedic value, making the caption of Ryan Reynolds' photograph more relevant: 'Wolvie. Bond. Wade.'

This information is purely speculative at this point, and neither Jackman, Reynolds, nor Brosnan have responded to the rumors linking the Bond frontman to the role of Cable. The casting process for the time traveling mutant is still ongoing, and it will be interesting to see who the creative team goes with, since this is a key aspect of the highly-anticipated sequel.

Sources: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman