Success is not synonymous with happiness, particularly in the world of Hollywood. Yesterday the internet broke when it was revealed that Deadpool director Tim Miller has left his role in the highly anticipated sequel. Considering how acclaimed and record breaking the first movie was, you'd think Miller would do anything to retain this position in Deadpool 2, but it appears that he and star/producer Ryan Reynolds had some serious creative differences. The details of this exchange were a mystery, but now we may have some clues as to the specific "differences" which caused Tim Miller to leave the project before he really started.
According to the good folks at The Wrap, there were a pair of major issues that caused contention between Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds. While it was an "amicable" split, the creative differences were too much for Miller to bare.
The first of these issues was apparently the tone and style of Deadpool 2. Tim Miller reportedly wanted the sequel that was more stylistic and unique than its predecessor. Miller owns his own visual affects studio, so he clearly has an eye for interesting visuals, and would know how to use them in order to make Deadpool 2 exciting. But Ryan Reynolds apparently wanted to stick to his guns (pun intended) and focus on the raunchy comedy that helped make the first movie so exciting. While I can see the positive in both Reynolds and Millers' visions, the studio allegedly sided with the star, causing a bit of frustration for Miller.
In addition to creative differences, Ryan Reynolds and Miller apparently disagreed on a bit of casting. Since Deadpool's post credits scene announced that a sequel will feature futuristic X-Man Cable, fans have been debating which actor would be best in the role. We previously reported that Friday Night Lights and Bloodline actor Kyle Chandler was circling the role- which reportedly was a source for drama behind the scenes. Tim Miller was all for this casting, but Ryan Reynolds was not too keen. Perhaps he wanted an actor who looks closer to the source material... or Keira Knightley (she has range). Once again, the studio took Reynolds' side, which may just have been the final straw that caused Tim Miller to depart the project.
News of Tim Miller's decision to leave Deadpool 2 was truly shocking, and a little too reminiscent of the film's early struggles. Deadpool suffered in development hell for many years, until the test footage for the first movie was leaked online. But now that Miller is no longer directing, will Deadpool 2 end up having more struggles down the road?
Overall, whoever directs Deadpool 2 has some very big shoes to fill. Expectations for the sequel are sky high, and fans will likely freak out if Deadpool 2 fails to capture the magic of the original.
We'll keep you updated on all things Deadpool as news becomes public.
