4/09/2018
*Update* 'Deadpool 2' Villain Not Cut From Movie, Jessica Chastain's 'Dark Phoenix' Role May Be Revealed
*UPDATE* Deadpool 2 writer Rhett Reese took to Twitter to debunk a rumor that Jack Kesy, expected to play villain Black Tom Cassidy in the film, had been cut out. Meanwhile, Collider says their sources claim Kesy's role has only been reduced but not completely removed. Sounds like the earlier rumor was bogus. This is why it's good to question when Jeff Sneider reveals things on a podcast but not for the outlet that pays him. Original stories are below. *
One of the interesting things about the recent Deadpool 2 trailer is how much it places Deadpool and X-Force at odds with Josh Brolin's Cable. To look at them it would appear that Cable is the movie's villain, which I don't think is what anybody expected, especially since the film was also supposed to include Jack Kesy as mutant Black Tom Cassidy. But we haven't seen anything of Kesy yet, and it may be because he's no longer in the film.
Jeff Sneider was back on the Meet the Movie Press podcast and revealed that his sources suggest Kesy is no longer in the movie, saying “I heard he got cut from the movie. […] I don’t know if we’re gonna be seeing Jack Kesy in Deadpool 2. We’ll see.”
If the team is really battling Cable then including Black Tom Cassidy, a powerful mutant with the ability to channel concussive force through anything made of wood, would be a bit much. Of course, this is just a rumor and Sneider has seen as much of the movie as you or I, so take this with a grain of salt.
Meanwhile, Sneider also recently teased the identity of Jessica Chastain's character in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Initially we thought she would be playing Shi'ar empress Lilandra, since the Shi'ar view the Phoenix as a mortal enemy. Later it was rumored she was playing Skrull queen Veranke, which would have been odd since Marvel is using the Skrulls over in Captain Marvel.
Now Sneider says Chastain may actually be in the role of Claudine Renko aka Miss Sinister. Well, that's one way of getting Mr. Sinister on the screen, I suppose? She is a perfect genetic clone of Mr. Sinister, possessing a portion of his consciousness and with very similar motivations and powers. She also has the ability to shapeshift, which would fit a previous description of Chastain's character's gifts.
Renko wasn't a very interesting character so I hope this is just a misfire by Sneider. It's probably a good idea not to put too much stock into the rumors he reveals on the show. While some of them pan out, if they were rock solid he would write about them for The Tracking Board. So we'll see what happens when Deadpool 2 opens in May, and Dark Phoenix next year.