Tim Miller may have left Deadpool 2 due to creative differences with lead actor Ryan Reynolds, but it appears that 20th Century Fox doesn't want the project to be delayed for that reason. The sequel's working title was recently revealed, and now we have a new rumor about who might end up sitting in the director's chair.
According to what multiple individuals familiar with Deadpool 2 have told Mashable, David Leitch, who directed the critically-acclaimed 2014 action thriller John Wick with Chad Stahelski, is "the strong frontrunner" to helm the movie.
While one of their sources has claimed that there are some other directors in the mix, the website suggests that Ryan Reynolds is being pushed by his agency, WME, to appoint one of their clients as the Deadpool 2 director, and Leitch is at the top of the list. In their report, they add:
There doesn’t appear to be an official offer on the table yet, but by most accounts, 20th Century Fox has found its man.
Neither the director's nor the studio’s representative has responded on the matter.
David Leitch may not have much experience as a feature film director, but he has served as a second unit director in numerous movies, including Captain America: Civil War and Jurassic World. He has also worked with Reynolds before, as the action coordinator on X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
And even if Fox hires him for Deadpool 2, it won't be the first movie that he is directing on his own. He is calling the shots for spy thriller The Coldest City, starring Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, which will arrive in theaters on August 11, 2017. He is also set to helm the Chris Pratt starrer Cowboy Ninja Viking, along with the co-director of John Wick.
Leitch is surely not the kind of big name some of us have been expecting for Deadpool 2, but neither was Tim Miller when he was hired for the original movie. So, it may not be a bad move to appoint him as the sequel's director.
