As work continues on the Deadpool 2 script to get the highly anticipated sequel ready to enter production later this year, casting is also underway for the new additions to the franchise. At the top of that list is the role of Cable, a Marvel Comics character who was the leader of the X-Force (a superhero group that's basically an R-rated X-Men) and who shared a title with the Merc with the Mouth in the Cable & Deadpool series. The character’s comics history is a bit convoluted, but the hallmarks of Cable are that he’s an aged, grizzled, cybernetic fighter from the future who has a complicated relationship with Deadpool. Much like the character of Deadpool, Cable is someone who has a huge following with comics fans but is mostly unknown to general audiences. But also much like Deadpool, he has the potential to break out in a big way, and as a key member of the X-Force, whoever signs on to fill this role would no doubt be in Fox’s Marvel universe for the long haul with future Deadpool sequels, the X-Force movie, and a potential Cable movie.
Given the massive box office success of Deadpool, it’s not hard to imagine that the role of Cable is highly sought after in Hollywood, but director David Leitch and star/producer Ryan Reynolds are zeroing in on their man. The Wrap is reporting that Stranger Things standout David Harbour is currently one of the actors being eyed to play Cable, and we here at Collider can confirm through our own sources that this is indeed the case.
Casting is not complete and Harbour doesn’t yet have the job, but he has screen tested with Reynolds and is definitely one of the actors under consideration for the role. Sources tell us that Michael Shannon was previously in the mix to potentially play Cable, but he’s no longer in the running due to scheduling issues.
Harbour seems like a solid fit here, and one key aspect needed for this onscreen Cable is an actor who appears physically bigger than Reynolds, who himself is already pretty tall. Harbour fits the physical bill and has been doing great work throughout his career, ranging from films like Black Mass and End of Watch to memorable turns on TV series like The Newsroom and Manhattan. The guy can act, and he’s all the more notable now thanks to his terrific turn as Jim Hopper in the breakout Netflix series Stranger Things.
As we exclusively reported, Cabin in the Woods director/co-writer Drew Goddard is currently working on the Deadpool 2 script alongside Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. We've heard that one of the holdups in the development of the sequel has been getting Cable right, so Goddard was brought in to consult, but one imagines casting an actor in the role might help that gel a bit better.
Additionally, Fox has tapped Joe Carnahan to get started on a screenplay for the eventual X-Force movie. The studio is moving full-speed ahead on this Deadpool corner of the X-Men universe, and filling the role of Cable is a key piece of that puzzle. Whether it’s Harbour or another actor that’s in the mix, that performer will potentially become the face of a big superhero franchise, so there’s a lot riding on this choice.
What do you think, folks? Are you onboard with David Harbour as Cable? Sound off in the comments below.
