Here at LRM we’re kind of into Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds’ sarcastic Merc with a Mouth jolted new life into the flagging superhero genre last year and anticipation for the sequel has grown exponentially over the last several months. The internet has been buzzing over the recent announcement of actress Zazie Beetz securing the role of mutant marksman Domino, but there’s been far greater debate (and some crazy speculation) over who should portray the time-travelling super-soldier, Cable. 

A list of plausible, potential actors has made the rounds, including Stranger Things‘ fearless sheriff David Harbour and Friday Night Lights alum Kyle Chandler; on the sligtly less-likely side, rumors include Brad Pitt, Dolph Lundgren, Ron Perlman, WWE’s Adam Copeland (Edge), and even Charlize Theron; and yet, here’s not been a clear frontrunner for the part.

Until today.

If you’re unfamiliar with the character, Cable is the offspring of X-Men’s Cyclops/Scott Summers and (a clone of) telepath Jean Grey — his birth the result of a plot set many years in the future by the evil geneticist, Mr. Sinister. Cable debuted in Marvel Comics’ Uncanny X-Men #201 in 1986, and has been a mainstay ever since; frequently paired with Deadpool (first appearing together in the wildly popular 2004 comic series Cable & Deadpool), their relationship has been… complicated. Cable is essentially the polar opposite of and counterpoint to Deadpool, which should provide for some tremendously violent conflict and dark humor in the 2018 sequel.

As reported in The Hollywood Reporter, actor Michael Shannon has emerged as the frontrunner to play Cable. Shannon’s had a long and varied career in Hollywood with over 81 film and television credits, including Man of Steel, Nocturnal Animals, Midnight Special, Revolutionary Road, and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. 

So why is Michael Shannon considered a leading candidate for Cable? Well, as method and character actors go, there’s intensity, and then there’s Michael Shannon. His recent work in Nocturnal Animals has earned solid acclaim, and he’s appearing in four more films this year along. In other words, he’s a hot property in Hollywood. 

Check out this powerful scene in Jeff Nichols 2011 film Take Shelter:

For my money, Shannon’s turn as Zod in 2013’s Man of Steel was so charismatic and brutally visceral that it overshadowed both Henry Cavill’s performance as Superman and Russell Crowe’s Jor El; even the ghost of Marlon Brando winced a bit at the extent of Shannon’s scenery chewing. If you’re still a bit unsure, spend a grim couple of hours watching his mesmerizing work as serial killer, Richard Kuklinski, in 2012’s The Iceman, where he incidentally offs Chris Evans’ Mr. Freezy ice-cream-truck driver (and rival serial killer). 

Do you think Michael Shannon is an inspired and viable choice for Cable? Let us know in the comments down below!

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SOURCE: THR