After Tim Miller directed the first Deadpool movie and it became a surprisingly huge box office success, he dropped out of the sequel following creative differences with Ryan Reynolds and the studio. Before John Wick’s uncredited co-director David Leitch was tapped to helm Deadpool 2, a handful of other filmmakers were considered.
Now that Disney has acquired 21st Century Fox, the X-Men movie franchise is back in Marvel Studios’ hands. The Merc with a Mouth is reported to be the only X-Men character that Disney isn’t planning to reboot, so the studio will be in need of more Deadpool directors soon enough.
Should: Edgar Wright
The Deadpool movies require a director who can shoot visual comedy, but who can also shoot exhilarating action, and there aren’t many directors who can do both. But Edgar Wright certainly can as proven by all of his films, but particularly the genre riffs of the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy.
The car chases in Baby Driver were each more dazzling than the last, the shootouts in Hot Fuzz were suitably intense, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was a comic book adaptation of the highest order.
Almost Did: Robert Rodriguez
Before Tim Miller was hired to direct the first Deadpool movie, Robert Rodriguez was one of the filmmakers approached by the producers. However, he turned it down in order to make Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.
Interestingly enough, Rodriguez had previously turned down an offer to direct the first X-Men movie in order to helm the first Spy Kids movie. Spy Kids has been driving a wedge between Rodriguez and X-Men for years.
Should: Taika Waititi
Unconfirmed rumors suggest that Taika Waititi is high on Marvel’s list for Deadpool 3. This would make a lot of sense, since the studio had a lot of success with Waititi’s previous overtly comedic entry in the MCU, Thor: Ragnarok.
Waititi’s style is zany and out there enough to make him the ideal candidate to direct a Deadpool movie. Ryan Reynolds needs a director who will give him the same kind of freedom that Waititi gave Chris Hemsworth in Ragnarok.
Almost Did: Drew Goddard
After Tim Miller dropped out of helming Deadpool 2, the studio considered replacing him with Drew Goddard, who got his start writing for genre shows like Lost and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He’s done a ton of work as a script doctor for Hollywood blockbusters and has two feature directing credits to his name: the meta-horror satire The Cabin in the Woods and the action-packed neo-noir Bad Times at the El Royale.
Should: Matthew Vaughn
With both the Kick-Ass and Kingsman franchises, Matthew Vaughn has cemented himself as the master of the meta comic book adaptation. Neither of those movies broke the fourth wall like Deadpool does, but they did share the Merc with a Mouth’s self-aware wit.
Plus, X-Men: First Class proved he can deliver the goods with a big-budget superhero blockbuster. That movie’s Cuban Missile Crisis set piece is an underrated gem. Vaughn might want to take a break from comic book movies for a while, but he’d make a great Deadpool 3.
Almost Did: Magnus Martens
Magnus Martens was in the running to direct Deadpool 2 before David Leitch was tapped to helm the project. Martens is primarily a TV director, having helmed episodes of Marvel shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Luke Cage.
In addition to his work with Marvel, Martens has directed episodes of 12 Monkeys, Longmire, and The Walking Dead spin-offs.
Should: Ruben Fleischer
Ruben Fleischer’s visual style, demonstrated by the beautifully wacky Zombieland movies and even the critically panned Gangster Squad, would be perfect for a Deadpool movie. 30 Minutes or Less showed that he can deftly balance action and comedy.
He already proved with 2018’s Tom Hardy-starring Venom movie that he’s capable of helming a crowd-pleasing Marvel Comics blockbuster.
Almost Did: Rupert Sanders
Before hiring David Leitch to direct Deadpool 2, the studio considered Rupert Sanders for the job. Sanders made his directorial debut with Snow White and the Huntsman, which was controversial due to his on-set affair with star Kristen Stewart. After that, he helmed the live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson, which was controversial due to whitewashing the lead character.
It might be for the best that Sanders didn’t direct Deadpool 2. Going by his track record, the release of the movie probably would’ve been followed by a very public controversy.
Should: Ryan Reynolds
The main reason why the Deadpool movies work is Ryan Reynolds’ commitment to the role, understanding of the character, and ability to ad-lib lines. After just starring in the first one, he co-wrote the second one with the original’s Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
Maybe he could direct the third one. Reynolds has never directed a movie before, but he has produced and he’s worked with some great filmmakers over the years. He could probably pull off helming Deadpool 3.