Late last month, Deadpool 2‘s fast track to the cinema was derailed with director Tim Miller abruptly left the film after creative differences with Ryan Reynolds over the project’s direction. But just a few weeks later, 20th Century Fox has apparently lined up a worthy successor for Miller.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, John Wick co-director David Leitch has been signed to helm Deadpool 2. And while this will be only Leitch’s third feature film after the upcoming thriller, The Coldest City, he’s also had a long career as a stunt coordinator and a second-unit director. Along with his co-director, Chad Stahelski, Leitch made John Wick one of the best action films in years, and the movie is actually a great calling card for Leitch’s newest project. Last night, we happily re-watched John Wick to pull out the 8 moments that should prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Leitch is up for the challenge of giving Marvel’s “Merc with a mouth” a kickass sequel.
Before we go forward, you should know that there are major spoilers for John Wick on this list if you somehow managed to miss it. Seriously, go watch it if you haven’t done so, and then come back here!
Home Invasion
The first major action sequence set the tone for the rest of the film, as Viggo sent 12 of his deadliest men to kill John Wick in his own home…and he just wasn’t having it! What struck us as a very Deadpool-like touch was the way that John used guns as an extension of himself while fighting, and he almost always went for the fatal headshot.
Noise Complaint
One of the film’s funniest moments came immediately after the home invasion, as John opened his front door to speak with a cop, only to reveal that the police officer was not only familiar with John’s work, but he was also totally cool with a house full of dead bodies. We fully expect that Deadpool 2 will be heavier on humor than John Wick, but it’s nice to know that Leitch can handle the lighter moments as well.
Rumble At the Bathhouse
While John showed mercy on one guard at the bathhouse, he went on to mercilessly cut down his target’s bodyguards. The story had already set John up as an unstoppable force of nature, but he was so dominant in the early part of this battle that he might as well have been superhuman.
“Wick is Here!”
Shortly after his presence at the bathhouse was exposed, John went full Gun-fu on Viggo’s men, which strikes us as a very Deadpool thing to do. One of the signature features of this movie was the way that its stunts and action sequences had a heightened sense of reality that just couldn’t exist in the real world. But it’s the perfect approach to take for Deadpool 2.
Breakin’ The Rules at the Continental
Shockingly, John only had one fight with Adrianne Palicki’s Ms. Perkins, but it was a really wild sequence that managed to bring the film’s insanity meter to a higher level. We’d love to see a fight between Deadpool and Domino recapture this intensity while maintaining a sense of humor as well. Honestly, Palicki would also make a pretty awesome Domino…and that would only add to her impressive geek cred roles including Wonder Woman, Mockingbird, Lady Jaye, and even a fake out version of Supergirl on Smallville.
The Bag Man Cometh
At one point in the film, John was actually knocked out by Viggo’s men and nearly asphyxiated by a plastic bag after the order was given to kill him. It was another crazy sequence in the movie, and Deadpool may be the only other action star we can think of who would go through most of a fight with a bag over his head!
Theon’s Last Gasp
Yeah, we know that Alfie Allen played Viggo’s son, Iosef…but we’re still gonna call him Theon! It was somewhat darkly humorous and ironic that in his final moments, Game of Thrones‘ third favorite eunuch essentially pleaded for his life by insisting that it was “just a dog.” Much like John, Deadpool is also a bit inflexible when it comes to personal slights like stealing his prized car or murdering his dog. Remember the way that Deadpool dealt with Ajax? That scene is almost a parallel to this one, minus a puking Colossus.
He Knows Car-Fu
In one of the final action sequences in the movie, John used his car to run down and shoot the last of Viggo’s men. It was completely ridiculous, and yet presented in straightforward way with only a few touches of humor. If this sequence had been in Deadpool 2, the scene’s comedy factor probably would have been greatly amplified. But we always appreciate a fresh take on an old action trope, and this was a great way to close out that part of the movie. It probably also played a role in helping Leitch into the director’s chair for the next Deadpool film.
Which moments from John Wick made you think that Leitch is the right choice for Deadpool 2? Take aim, and share your thoughts below!
Images: Marvel/20th Century Fox/Summit
