The first full-length, profanity-packed, fourth-wall-breaking trailer for 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool 2 arrived today, and with it comes our first true look at Josh Brolin’s take on the time-traveling mutant Cable. However, the footage also features appearances from other new characters, plenty of Easter eggs, and a few hilarious jabs at the competition.
Check out our full breakdown of the trailer:
Here Comes Cable
As the trailer kicks off, we get our first look at Josh Brolin’s Cable in live-action. From the grizzled facial features to the glowing, techno-organic virus-infected eye, everything about Brolin’s look is perfect, and seeing him in action does the character far more justice than static images.
Hope’s Teddy Bear
As Cable struts down a corridor, we see that heavy-duty weapons aren’t the only thing he’s packing. Also hanging from his waist is a small teddy bear, which we can assume is a reference to Hope Summers. In the comics, Cable saved Hope from being executed by the Purifiers when she was just a baby, as they believed she was an antichrist, while he believed she was a messiah. Whether the bear is just an Easter egg or true foreshadowing remains to be seen.
Aaand Here’s Our First Meta-Moment
The quintessential metatextual humor kicks into gear when we get a shot of Brolin wearing a green-screen sleeve over his left arm. The footage then pauses, as Deadpool shouts in the background about the shot containing unfinished CGI. He then follows that up with a clever jab at Henry Cavill’s mustache, which was digitally removed, albeit poorly, in Justice League. It’s just the sort of jab you’d expect from the Merc with a Mouth.
Sheriff Wood… I Mean Deadpool
In response to the aforementioned visual effects snafu, Deadpool decides to take care of putting together the trailer himself. However, he does so by acting it out with action figures and a diorama-esque set made of construction paper. When Wade brings his own action figure into the scene, he’s sporting a sheriff outfit a la Woody from Toy Story, and he tells Cable to “reach for the sky.” The sequence finally culminates with Deadpool giving Cable his “stones,” which is both a reference to Brolin playing Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, as well as… well, you can probably figure it out.
Cable vs. the DMC
When things switch back to a more serious tone, we see Cable (now with his fully refined CGI metal arm) take on a squad of DMC agents. While it’s unclear what “DMC” stands for, the group is believed to be the film’s stand-in for the Mutant Response Division (MRD) from the comics. With that in mind, it’s possible “DMC” is an abbreviation for “Department of Mutant Control,” or something similar.
Good Thing He Has That Healing Factor
As Deadpool prepares to smash a nameless henchman over the head with a brick, we can see that the Merc with a Mouth has already collected a few battle scars of his own. With large sections of his body wrapped in duct tape, Wade presumably had to quite literally put himself back together before allowing his healing factor to do the rest of the work.
It’s Domino Time
In addition to Brolin’s Cable, we also get our first look at Zazie Beetz’s Domino in action, as she squares off against another generic henchman. Judging by the poster in the background, which reads, “Purity, Humanity, Infinity,” this section of the compound could be what the DMC shows to the public, using the guise of bettering mankind to cover up its more sinister activities.
That’s Still the Coolest Name Ever
After our introduction to Domino, we get a quick shot of Brianna Hildebrand reprising her role as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Sporting an upgraded costume and a fashionable new hairdo, the character looks as fierce as ever, though she doesn’t appear to have Stefan Kapicic’s Colossus by her side.
X-Force?
Fox already reportedly had an X-Force movie in development, and in this shot, we could be getting our first look at the fully assembled team. However, given the fact that the character to Deadpool’s left (played by Terry Crews) appears to be G.W. Bridge, it’s also possible this is a version of Six Pack – another team both Deadpool and Domino were members of at various points in Marvel Comics history.
Dopinder Returns
Karan Soni’s portrayal of the timid taxi-driver Dopinder was one of the many delights from the first Deadpool, so it’s great that we’ll see him return for the sequel. How big of a role his has in the film remains to be seen, but nevertheless, welcome back, Dopinder!
Oh, Blind Al…
Another actor reprising their role for Deadpool 2 is Leslie Uggams, who plays Wade’s loveable blind roommate Blind Al. Much like the first film, the sequel won’t shy away from poking fun at the character’s visual impairment, as evidenced by her pointing her gun (which she probably shouldn’t have in the first place) in the completely wrong direction. Thankfully, Wade is there to redirect her aim, presumably at Cable, who we see standing in the pair’s living room.
Deadpool 2 hits theaters May 18.