2014 was basically the year of Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The British actress, who got her cinematic career started in Larry Crowne, wowed audiences in both the period drama Belle and the music world romance Beyond the Lights. Now she's set to join Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey in the Civil War film, Free State of Jones. Directed by Gary Ross and based on a true story, it follows soldier Newton Knight who rebelled against the Confederacy during WWII and attempted to establish the "Free State of Jones" in Mississippi. McConaughey takes the lead role while Mbatha-Raw will play a slave named Rachel who forms a relationship with Knight. [TheWrap]
20th Century Fox's X-men universe is growing, and while fans are eager for The Wolverine 2 and X-men: Apocalypse, there's also a Gambit film on the way and the forever-developing Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds. Deadpool already promises to be a wild, mouthy, R-rated bonanza but it promises to be even funnier now that TJ Miller (Big Hero 6, Silicon Valley) is joining the cast. Miller will be joined by Ed Skrein (Game of Thrones) in the anti-hero flick about the infamous "merc with a mouth" who debuted on-screen in X-men Origins: Wolverine. Miller's role is said to be a comedic one, which isn't much of a surprise, and for me I can only hope he takes on the role of Deadpool's beleaguered weapons dude, Weasel. Skrein could be up for the villain, although there's no word on what character that could be. [TheWrap]
