With progress on the highly anticipated Deadpool 2 continuing apace, Ryan Reynolds used his Twitter account to unveil a fully costumed photo of Josh Brolin as Cable. The big screen, live-action debut of Cable - otherwise known as Nathan Summers - has been a source of excitement for X-Men fans ever since the announcement was made back in the post-credits sequence of the first Deadpool movie and much speculation has followed regarding which actor would be tapped up for the role.
Subsequently, these first look photos are attracting widespread attention from comic book movie fans and with attention inevitably comes a sizeable helping of analysis and speculation. In this regard, perhaps the most intriguing thing included in the Cable photo is the tattered old teddy bear hanging from his belt. Very little in these kinds of reveals is there by coincidence and the prominence of the bear in the shot suggests some kind of significance to the plot of Deadpool 2, unless Reynolds and co. are deviously throwing out an almighty red herring.
The most obvious reason for the bear is Hope Summers. In X-Men comic book lore, Hope Summers is a mutant of incredible power adopted by Cable as a child as he believes that her power will one day lead both humans and mutants to salvation. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees and some see Hope as a threat who will one day wipe out most of mankind. Obviously, Cable is having none of this and he continues to protect the youngster, becoming a surrogate father to her. Not a Summers by blood, Hope takes her name from Cable's wife, who also put her life on the line to protect the young mutant.
A New Hope
Some may argue that the bear isn't indicative of Hope Summers appearing in Deadpool at all and is merely a product of Deadpool's kitsch sense of humor, similar to Wade's borderline concerning obsession with Hello Kitty and unicorns. Interestingly Cable's teddy bear isn't the first sign in the Deadpool 2 promotional material of Hope's impending arrival. In the first teaser released alongside Logan, Wade Wilson hilariously sends up Superman by getting inside of a phone booth to change, taking far too long, and completely fluffing his "save the day" moment. Although it's easy to miss while you're laughing, the telephone booth actually has the word "Hope" drawn onto it.
The scrawling may not have been much of a signal in itself but combine that with the teddy bear and there certainly seems to be a heavy suggestion that Cable's adopted daughter will play some role in Deadpool 2.
Perhaps the key factor in whether or not Hope will appear depends on how Cable himself is introduced. In the comic books, Cable attempts to protect his adopted daughter from those who seek to harm her by constantly traveling through different time periods. As meta as Deadpool is, you have to imagine that the Cyclops of the X-Men universe isn't old enough to have birthed a Josh Brolin-aged son, so Cable's entry point into the Deadpool sequel is almost certain to be via time travel.
Potentially, then, if the comics are to be followed, Cable could meet Deadpool while he and Hope are hopping through time to protect to evade their pursuers. Undoubtedly, the concept of Wade and Nathan attempting to safeguard a small child from hordes of evil mutants would make for a hilarious plot but given that Logan followed that exact some story, albeit in a far more grave manner, the "protecting a child from angry mutants" trope is unlikely to be recycled so soon.
With that said, perhaps Hope Summers won't be appearing as a child at all. The teddy bear looks old and beaten and Cable could be carrying it for sentimental reasons, with his surrogate daughter a fully grown woman in Deadpool 2. Interestingly, the 24 year old Shiori Kutsuna has been cast in an as-yet-undisclosed role and an adult Hope would make considerably more sense in the world of Deadpool. Furthermore, with the X-Force movie on the horizon, Brolin signing a multi-film contract and the comic book Hope Summers being a member of the X-Force team, the character's presence in Deadpool 2 could simply be working towards bigger plans for Hope in less comedy-based projects.
No Hope
It may seem likely that Hope Summers will play a role of some description in Deadpool 2, but that doesn't necessarily mean the character needs to appear on screen. The bear on Cable's belt could simply be a hint towards the fatherly part of his personality, or a physical reminder of a surrogate daughter lost in a tragic future timeline. The character of Hope Summers could define a huge part of Josh Brolin's Cable and be referenced in Deadpool 2 without actually appearing as an on-screen figure.
But the main issue in bringing Hope Summers into the Deadpool fold seems to be one of tone, as it would be a considerable contrast in styles if Deadpool 2 was to include Hope in the same context and tone as her comic counterpart. The first Deadpool movie was very much a comedic superhero movie and the themes of impending doom, mass slaughter and messiah-like children of prophecy don't quite lend themselves to the juvenile (yet undeniably hilarious) humor of Mr. Pool. Certainly then, if Hope was to appear, it may be a quite different incarnation compared to the source material.
Until more is revealed about the plot of Deadpool 2, there are few certainties, but it does seem highly likely that Hope Summers will, at the very least, be a factor in the Deadpool sequel. If she does make an on-screen appearance, a grown up iteration seems the more likely and fitting option, as opposed to the newborn child Cable takes it upon himself to adopt, but in the world of Deadpool only two things are really guaranteed: blood and penis jokes.