In the age of superhero shared universes, new franchises aren’t just an inevitability, but an opportunity to add even more characters – be they heroes or villains – alongside the protagonists. In the case of Deadpool, the Ryan Reynolds-led film is apparently getting its first dose of a series crossover with X-Men‘s ‘Colossus,’ but the characters known and loved by “Deadpool” comic fans won’t be left out of the fun either.
Thanks to new casting details for the film – currently in production under the codename ‘Wham!’ – it sounds like two of the Wade Wilson’s most trusted colleagues will be adapted to live-action along with him, as a few hints are given at the hired muscle he’ll be tangling with in the film’s story.
The prior casting rumors led us to believe that T.J. Miller (Transformers: Age of Extinction) was a frontrunner for the part of Weasel, Deadpool’s friend, confidant, and arms designer. Although the character descriptions provided by Casting247 are using placeholder names, the personalities, strengths, and ages combined with a little knowledge of the comic book source material singles out a few likely cast members.
Take a look at the cast being sought below:
[RIDGE] Any ethnicity, early 30s to early 50s. Big, muscular, dangerous, violent, vain, insecure and more than a bit of a dick…. but with a sense of humor. He is not a psychopath, he’s practical but morally neutral—he doesn’t enjoy torturing people, he just doesn’t care. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SEQUEL OPTIONS.
[LINDSAY] Any ethnicity, 20s, attractive and worldly. Smart, tough, beautiful but a little bit broken. Nothing has ever been easy for her and she’s developed a thick skin and cynical outlook. But she’s not a victim—she may not have a great life but she’s holding it together and does what she needs to get by. She’s got a great sense of humor but it leans heavily towards irony and sarcasm. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SEQUEL OPTIONS.
[SIMON] Any ethnicity, late 20s to early 40s. Quirky, great sense of humor. Smart, funny, but more than a little bit slippery. Fast talker, always looking to make a buck. He looks out for himself first and foremost, but reveals loyalty at the end of the day. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SEQUEL OPTIONS.
[SHIRLIE] African American, late 60s to early 80s. Worldly, great sense of comedic timing, sarcastic, dry, funny. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SERIES OPTIONS.
[KATHY] Any ethnicity, early to mid teens. World weary, great sense of comedic timing, sarcastic, droll sense of humor. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SERIES OPTIONS.
[KEREN] Any ethnicity, early 20s to late 30s. Serious, big, tough. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SERIES OPTIONS
[ALBERT] Any ethnicity, early 30s to early 50s. Big, muscular, dangerous. ROLE REQUIRES THREE SERIES OPTIONS
For starters, ‘Ridge’ sounds like a more complicated than the typical villain; the actor rumored for the role of antagonist fits the bill, but the option to keep the character in the picture shows the filmmakers are planning for a lengthy series. ‘Lindsay’ seems to be the female lead for which Morena Baccarin, Taylor Schilling and more were rumored, and the new details make her sound even more like Vanessa Carlysle, a young prostitute who turns out to be Wade Wilson’s soul mate.
‘Simon’ sounds like a placeholder for Weasel, but it’s ‘Shirlie’ who will please the comic book fans, as it seems she’s a dead ringer for ‘Blind Al,’ the visually impaired senior citizen with whom Wade shares an… odd kinship with. A large role wouldn’t be expected, but her signature humor encapsulates the oddball, eccentric personalities that Deadpool tends to attract.
The other characters are too vaguely-sketched to draw any further conclusions, although it seems likely that the role of ‘Keren’ has gone to actress/MMA fighter Gina Carano. With the fiction behind the Weapon X program that produced both Deadpool and Wolverine set to be explored, there is no shortage of augmented test subjects to call upon from the pages of Marvel Comics.
We’ll keep you updated as more official word or potential frontrunners for the roles in question arrive, but for now, are you Deadpool fans happy to see Wade Wilson’s serial sidekicks getting their own time in the spotlight? If you’ve got a few actors or actresses who fit these descriptions that you would like to see considered, be sure to name them – and make your case – in the comments below!
Deadpool releases in theaters February 12, 2016.
