In case you haven’t heard, Stephen Lang is the fan-favorite to take up the mantle of Cable in Deadpool 2, and the actor is completely on board with this idea.
Deadpool rocked the genre when he proved that an R-rated superhero film could work — and work well. And by well, I mean the film broke a bunch of records at the box office during its opening weekend.
In the final credits scene, it was revealed that if Deadpool made enough money, Deadpool 2 could feature none other than the super badass, time-traveling, X-Men hero Cable.
Well, guess what? Deadpool made enough money. They’re already writing Deadpool 2, and the idea of Cable being on the big screen is closer than ever.
Who is Cable?
If you’re unfamiliar with the character, let’s break it down. He’s a time-traveler, so his stories can be a bit complicated, but he’s also one of the most interesting heroes in the X-Men universe, and fans are definitely excited to see him interacting with Deadpool in a live-action movie.
Cable, whose real name is Nathan Summers, is the son of Madelyn Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey) an Scott Summers (Cyclops). As a child, he was sent to the future, where he grew up and became a battle-hardened warrior. He returned to the present, fully grown, and took over as leader of the New Mutants, who were superheroes-in-training.
And he’s a pretty powerful guy. He was born with telepathic and telekinetic powers, and found he had latent time-traveling capabilities. His power to travel through time is assisted by his cyborg body. His arm and left eye are the two most iconic parts that have been turned from flesh and bone to metal and gadgetry. It is because of these components that he also has enhanced strength, eyesight, and can do cool tricks like hack computers and pick electronic locks.
Cable & Deadpool is a comic series based on the interactions between the two characters. It begins with Deadpool trying to steal a virus, but along the way both he and Cable are infected by it. Cable has to absorb (and then literally throw up) Deadpool in order to cure them both. This grants Deadpool teleportation powers, but when one of them uses this ability, it takes both of them along for the ride.
Cable is, for lack of a better phrase, a good guy. He wants world peace, but he’s also willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve it. In his various stories, he forces humanity to see him as their Savior and obey him in order to maintain peace. In a story with Deadpool, he becomes humanity’s common enemy in order to show them they can work together for the greater good. The X-Men hire Deadpool to stop him, and the rest of the series is, more or less, about the two characters then working together.
So… why Stephen Lang?
First of all, the resemblance is uncanny. The actor has been retweeting fans who’ve been comparing him to the character all week.
Is @IAmStephenLang gonna be #Cable in #Deadpool 2? RT if u want! pic.twitter.com/gt4tXTK3NJ
— Digi (@mydigi) February 12, 2016
@IAmStephenLang @20thcenturyfox @VancityReynolds get this guy play cable pic.twitter.com/IF1YWPujAH
— comicbookfan92 (@comicbookfan92) February 12, 2016
@VancityReynolds Deadpool was AWESOME! Blew my mind! I refuse to see Deadpool 2 if @IAmStephenLang isn't Cable. pic.twitter.com/K1fQiWcNpX
— Vin Feral (@Vin_Feral) February 13, 2016
i would spend all my money to see @IAmStephenLang as "Cable" in #Deadpool 2 @VancityReynolds #PoorFanDreams #CGN pic.twitter.com/YKQ35TsKpM
— xxDistrustedxx #CGN (@xxDistrustedxx) February 13, 2016
@robertliefeld Pretty sure Kyle Baker is drawing @IAmStephenLang here. #DeadpoolMAX #Cable pic.twitter.com/a4zIHne1B3
— Dyllan Jay (@dyllan_jay) February 16, 2016
Secondly, the actor has been gunning for the position himself, and you can’t deny the man is keeping up appearances.
Shakespeare:"CABLEs of perdurable toughness". Slang: Just staying fit. Training another story. Let's go! #Deadpool pic.twitter.com/cCZ2WTzPi9
— Stephen Lang (@IAmStephenLang) February 14, 2016
Think ageism is BS? So do I. My dad (@IAmStephenLang) is more yoked than 90% of the 20 year olds I know + was born to wear the #cable scars
— Noah Lang (@NoahJLang) February 14, 2016
I ain't old, I'm in my prime pic.twitter.com/Zc3oG1yAKZ
— Stephen Lang (@IAmStephenLang) February 14, 2016
Plus, he’s a damn fine actor. You probably know him from James Cameron’s Avatar, in which he played Colonel Miles Quaritch, but he has a long and varied career, both on and off the stage. Some of his most iconic roles have fallen right in line with the likes of both the Colonel and Cable, where he plays a rough-and-tumble military man of some sort. (RIP Terra Nova) Even stuck in a wheelchair, like he was for his character in Into the Badlands, he could portray a formidable opponent.
In short, I'm a character actor. Always have been. It's completely about transformation. pic.twitter.com/0C4hGpGsxn
— Stephen Lang (@IAmStephenLang) February 9, 2016
In short, how often do we get actors who not only look like a character, but also have a history of playing similar roles and actually want portray that person in a film? Stephen Lang honestly is the best case scenario for Cable’s casting.
That being said, Deadpool himself had a few suggestions, like Mel Gibson, Dolph Lundgren, and Keira Knightley. You may still be laughing at that last one, but check out the piece of fan art below and tell me that wouldn’t be freaking awesome to see on screen?
Just for kicks :D Keira Knightley as cable @deadpoolmovie @VancityReynolds pic.twitter.com/Mvjzf2KCru
— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) February 14, 2016
A couple other actors many fans are including on their shortlists are Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchman), both of whom have experience playing large, gruff characters who can take a beating. If Stephen Lang doesn’t make the cut, my other frontrunner is definitely Perlman. That man has presence.
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