Josh Brolin lands coveted Cable role in Deadpool 2 opposite Ryan Reynolds

Brolin, who also plays the villain Thanos in the Marvel Studios movies, won the part over Michael Shannon and Stranger Things star David Harbour who were both rumoured to be up for the role, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Reynolds, meanwhile, is reprising his role as Wade Wilson, the Merc with a Mouth, with the story expanding to include other characters from Deadpool's corner of Marvel’s X-Men universe.

Watch Reynolds in the Deadpool 2 teaser trailer, below:

Cable is in many ways the opposite of Deadpool: a man who is a leader and used to being obeyed and in control – but with a simmering rage. In the comics, Cable was from the future and was the adult son of Scott Summers, also known as the X-Men leader Cyclops.

Deadpool 2 aside, Brolin is having a very busy year: he leads the cast of Granite Mountain, stars in Soldado, the sequel to Sicario, appears in George Clooney’s ensemble Suburbicon and crops up in the drama The Legacy of the Whitetail Deer Hunter.

Next year, he will take centre stage as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.

David Leitch is directing Deadpool 2 and production is due to start in Vancouver in June.