John Wick’s David Leitch Confirmed to Direct Deadpool 2

Fox kicked off the 2016 superhero movie slate with a bang when they finally let Ryan Reynolds’ raunchy adaptation of Deadpool hit theaters. The film was one of the biggest hits of the year and, thanks to the low budget, allowed for Fox to make a fortune off the Merc with a Mouth. Everything seemed to be fine with a sequel already being worked on, but Deadpool 2 took a step back when director Tim Miller left the project.

With Miller no longer attached, the studio and Reynolds – who is also a producer on the film – quickly began searching for the right person to take over the franchise. John Wick co-director David Leitch was the first name to be rumored for the gig, and now he has struck a deal to helm the sequel.

THR is reporting that Leitch has finalized a deal to direct Deadpool 2 after meeting with Reynolds in New York recently. Leitch’s background in stunts and fight choreography makes him a great addition to the team. However, no matter how well he does with the sequel, this report indicates that Fox will look for a separate director for Deadpool 3, which is already in the works.


With Leitch now officially on board, any nervous feelings about the project’s development should be put to bed. Fox clearly has big plans for Deadpool as well as his impact on their universe, and getting somebody of Leitch’s quality should only further that cause. Much of his recognition has come from John Wick, and rightfully so, but he was also a second unit director on Captain America: Civil War, helping constuct the impressive and complex airport fight sequence.

Leitch reportedly beat out Drew Goddard and others for this job, but he will now move into the pre-production process on the sequel. Thankfully, he should be given more time than initially thought to develop the film with production not scheduled to start until March. Reynolds and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are already deep into pre-production with Cable and Domino reported to appear, but Leitch has surely agreed to follow the main storyline they have developed.

Even though Leitch on paper is a great replacement for Miller, there are sure to be some that are still disappointed the Deadpool director and Reynolds could not work out their differences. Hopefully, those people will be able to move past this and accept Deadpool 2 for what it is. Now, it will be up to Leitch to show why he was the right choice for the job, while also elevating the sequel even more. Thanks to his background in stunts, fans should expect even better action set pieces for Deadpool 2, but possibly even more heart after the story he helped tell in John Wick.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Logan release date: Mar 3, 2017
Deadpool 2 release date: Jan 12, 2018