There have been rumblings for years that Brad Pitt was eyed to play Cable in Deadpool 2, though the extent of the actor's role in the sequel was as the mutant Vanisher. The X-Force member had just a few seconds of screentime, with his face exposed only when he was electrocuted to death.
Josh Brolin ended up taking on the role of the time-traveller, but in an interview with ComicBook.com, the Merc with Mouth's co-creator Rob Liefeld confirmed the rumours about Pitt were true.
"I know for 100% fact that was true," the comic book writer and artist revealed. "They did previews, and David Leitch had a very special relationship doing stunt work with [Pitt]. What people don't know is that was very early on. So when they knew they weren't going in that direction, they went down several others."
According to Liefeld, Brolin's wife convinced him to audition for the role, though the actor has since admitted he struggled to bring the character to life on screen.
"Deadpool was hard. Even though it was funny, it was harder," Brolin said back in 2020. "That was more of a business transaction, it was more, 'We need to make this like this,' which I didn’t feel that way with Avengers."
"With those directors, they would constantly go back and reference Scarface or Dog Day Afternoon. Whether or not it was a manipulation, they knew what to throw out there to bring it back into something inspired."
In Deadpool 2, Cable is portrayed as a time-travelling soldier who, just like in the comics, wields a cybernetic arm and advanced weaponry. Born Nathan Summers, he comes from a dystopian future and seeks to prevent a tragedy that drives him to alter the past.
The mutant's main target is a young mutant named Russell "Firefist" Collins, who possesses fiery powers and poses a threat to Cable's future. Initially clashing with Deadpool, their motives gradually align as they work together to protect the young mutant from an even more formidable adversary in Juggernaut.
Cable isn't expected to appear in Deadpool 3, though we anticipate his actions in the 2017 sequel being referenced in some way, particularly after Wade Wilson stole his time-travelling device. If nothing else, that should be a key plot point in the upcoming threequel.
Brolin has reprised the role of Thanos in What If...? and it would be shocking if he doesn't return to the Marvel Universe in one way or another down the line.