With the surprising news that Tim Miller – director of the nut-kickingly successful Deadpool – has left the sequel partway through production, fans are left wondering who will take the helm. (The latest whispers point to John Wick director David Leitch.)
We’re pretty loaded with quality filmmakers here in New Zealand, so we could always cargo drop one of ours if things start to look dire. But who would Captain Deadpool justice? I have four unquestionable answers…
Gerard Johnstone (Housebound, Terry Teo)
The goldmine of wit and character nestled in Housebound should be enough to convince anyone that Johnstone has the chops to mine diamonds out of a Deadpool movie. But what would really excite me is to see how Johnstone could creatively push himself with the action sequences given a blockbuster stack of millions in his wallet.
Jason Lei Howden (Deathgasm)
The greatest Kiwi-made juvenile gore comedy of this generation is Deathgasm. This is not an opinion – it is a fact. If you were to channel Howden’s filmmaking fluency for dildo gags, adolescent humour and limb-ripping violence into a Deadpool sequel, it’d be like connecting the eye of the storm to its own butthole. I mean that in the best possible way.
Madeleine Sami (Funny Girls)
If Elizabeth Banks can make her feature directorial debut with a massive comedy sequel (Pitch Perfect 2), then so can any actor wanting to make the move to the captain’s chair. Sami’s a proven pro at juggling manic comic personalities like a jester in Super City while her current gig directing Funny Girls: Season 2 has aided that show’s focus for the better. I also want a Deadpool movie that ends with a pop musical number exactly like this one.
Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Green Lantern)
The director of 2011’s Green Lantern reuniting with the lead of 2011’s Green Lantern after having it casually mocked by 2016’s Deadpool and potentially mocked again in 2018’s Deadpool 2? That’s like… 64 wall-breaks.
