Deadpool 2 (2018)

Deadpool 2 is a 2018 American superhero film directed by David Leitch and starring Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as the wisecracking, fourth-wall-breaking mercenary Wade Wilson. After a personal tragedy, Deadpool forms X-Force, a ragtag team of mutants, to protect a young mutant named Russell Collins from the time-traveling soldier Cable, played by Josh Brolin. The film continues the original's irreverent tone while expanding the scope, introducing fan-favorite characters from the X-Men comics and escalating both the action and the meta-humor.

David Leitch, who co-directed John Wick and directed Atomic Blonde, brought a more polished action sensibility to the sequel while maintaining the franchise's comedic identity. Josh Brolin's performance as the grimly determined Cable provided an effective straight-man counterpoint to Reynolds' manic energy — remarkably, Brolin played both Cable and Thanos in the same year, appearing in two of 2018's biggest superhero films simultaneously. The film's X-Force recruitment sequence, in which most of the newly assembled team is immediately and hilariously killed during their first mission, became one of the most talked-about comedic set pieces of the year.

Zazie Beetz's introduction as the supernaturally lucky Domino was widely praised. Deadpool 2 earned $785 million worldwide, surpassing the original, and demonstrated that the franchise's appeal extended beyond novelty. The Super Duper Cut, an extended home video version, added 15 minutes of footage, while a PG-13 re-release titled Once Upon a Deadpool repackaged the film for younger audiences during the holiday season.