Former MMA Superstar Gina Carano Joins Cast of Deadpool Movie
So it seems like all the rumors of Gina Carano possibly making a return to the cage for MMA were all for naught. However, it does look like the former combat sport superstar and trailblazer has her next film role locked up. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Carano has joined the cast of 20th Century Fox’s upcoming comic book adaptation Deadpool. She joins the film opposite star Ryan Reynolds, who is playing the eponymous Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool aka Wade Wilson.
Carano, who is probably more renowned for her martial arts skills than her acting ability, is set to play a character named Angel Dust. The Angel Dust character is a mutant who joined the Chicago faction of Morlocks. The character was created by renowned writer Geoff Johns and Shawn Martinbrough and first appeared in the pages of Morlocks Issue No. 1 in 2002. Angel Dust has the ability to increase her adrenaline, giving her superhuman strength. Considering Carano’s MMA background and previous roles, making her a potential opponent for Deadpool or an imposing henchwoman for the story would not be surprising.
The report also goes on to state that Russian mutant X-Men character Colossus will appear in the film. Colossus appeared in an earlier draft of the script that leaked online. It will be interesting to see what direction the casting goes for Colossus. The character was played by Daniel Cudmore in several live-action X-Men films. However, Cudmore had a fairly small role in each of those films and barely any speaking lines. On the other hand, Reynolds has talked about this film having a fairly low budget, so Cudmore would be a more budget-conscious choice for the role who has had experience playing the character before. That aside, X-Men: Days of Future Past essentially undid all the events of the previous X-Men and Wolverine films, so director Tim Miller is not necessarily beholden to maintain the casting of Cudmore.
The casting for Carano is significant after her last starring role was the B-movie, bargain bin release In the Blood. She will also appear in the Bus 657 and the Kickboxer remake, but the size and scope of her role in those films remains to be seen. She did have a featured role in the hit action film Fast & Furious 6.
The long-awaited Deadpool movie will hit theaters on February 12, 2016. Shooting is set to begin next month.