Fans learn more about 'Deadpool' sequel (Pierce Brosnan?) as first film nears Oscars

'Deadpool 2' writers discuss how they'll adapt a famous comic book character for the upcoming 'Deadpool' sequel, while nominations rolling in for the first movie suggest it could be an Oscars contender.

More details have been revealed about the upcoming sequel to the 2016 comic book hit “Deadpool” – though not confirming or denying the rumors about Pierce Brosnan or Hugh Jackman – while industry watchers are wondering if the raunchy first film could be an Oscar contender.

“Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds recently posted a photo on Instagram of him, “X-Men” star Mr. Jackman, and former James Bond Mr. Brosnan sitting together.

Jackman has played superhero Wolverine in nine films of the “X-Men” series, which take place in a fictional universe of which Deadpool is also a part. Fans previously thought Jackman might pop up in the upcoming “Deadpool” sequel and are now wondering if Brosnan might be on board for a role, too. 

What fans do know is that the movie will begin shooting this June and that bounty hunter character Cable will be appearing in the film, as recently discussed by co-writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. 

In the meantime, as awards season continues (Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 24), industry watchers are wondering whether the original film could end up with an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. 

Recently, “Deadpool” received not only a Golden Globe nomination for best comedy or musical (it lost to “La La Land”) but received a nod for best adapted screenplay from the Writers Guild of America, and the producers received a nomination for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. 

Many were intrigued to see “Deadpool” alongside acknowledged awards season contenders like “La La Land,” “Moonlight,” and “Manchester by the Sea” for the PGA nominations. Awards season experts often see a lot of similarities between the PGA nominees and the eventual Oscar Best Picture nominees – for example, last year, seven out of the 10 movies nominated for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences passed on nominating “Ex Machina,” “Sicario,” and “Straight Outta Compton,” subbing in “Room” instead.) 

Now some are seeing “Deadpool” as a contender for getting a Best Picture nomination. If it does, it would become the first comic book-based movie to do so. Collider writer Adam Chitwood writes, “With ‘Deadpool’ now having been nominated for a Writers Guild of America award and Best Picture from the Producers Guild, it’d be silly not to consider the possibility that the film could actually score an Oscar nomination for Best Picture,” while Slate writer David Canfield writes that the PGA nomination “mak[es] it a legitimate Oscar contender."