Josh Brolin beefing up for Cable in Deadpool 2

Plenty of comic book movie fans still can’t quite believe that Josh Brolin – set to appear as Thanos, the most powerful supervillain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in next year’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ – is also joining 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movie universe as Cable in ‘Deadpool 2,’ also due 2018.

Still, while it may have been the biggest casting surprise since Ben Affleck landed Batman (a role Brolin is also known to have at one time been in contention for), few would dispute that Brolin is a great fit for the hard-edged, time-travelling mutant Nathan Summers.

With production looming for the eagerly anticipated ‘Deadpool’ sequel, this naturally means that Brolin is already headlong into the workout regimen essential for getting any actor into superhero shape – and the 49-year old Academy Award nominee shared photographic evidence of this on Instagram this weekend.

Fans will no doubt appreciate the little burn to Brolin’s future co-star Ryan Reynolds there (note the hashtag #ryanreynoldsismybitch), carrying on the light-hearted trash talk the two actors have been engaging in online since it was announced they would be working together.

Of course, the sight of Brolin flexing his impressive biceps is hardly without precedent; after all, his big screen introduction in 1985’s ‘The Goonies’ showed him working out in his very first scene.

Nor is Brolin the only actor to take on roles in competing comic book movie franchises. Chris Evans played Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in 20th Century Fox’s first two ‘Fantastic Four’ movies before Marvel cast him as Captain America, whilst the aforementioned Ben Affleck took the title role in Fox’s 2003 ‘Daredevil’ before being cast in ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ eleven years later.

However, Brolin’s case is unique in that he will be appearing in competing comic book movies opening almost back to back. ‘Deadpool 2’ is scheduled to open in UK cinemas on 1 June 2018, just five weeks after ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ opens on 27 April 2018.

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