20th Century Studios
“Deadpool 2” is known for many things. It was the sequel to one of the biggest R-rated hits in cinema history. It also did the classic thing of going bigger than its predecessor, with larger action set pieces and more characters from throughout the Marvel universe — most notably, the time-traveling mutant Cable, a fan-favorite from the comics who was played by Josh Brolin in the film. But before Brolin landed the part, a certain WWE superstar auditioned for the role.
Randy Orton, aka The Viper, was recently a guest on the WWE talk show “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” During the conversation, the longtime staple of the ring revealed that he auditioned for the role of Cable, which would have been by far his biggest foray into Hollywood to date. As Orton explained in the interview, his journey with the character was a short one:
“I do auditions here and there. I remember I got an audition early on when I finally got some representation in that industry. I think Deadpool 2? Cable. I read for Cable and in my head, boy, I was gonna be Cable. I was gonna be Cable. And I was like, ‘This is it.’ Nope, no callback. No nothing. Yeah, thanks. Josh Brolin gets it. Of course Josh Brolin gets it [and] kills it. I think I realized then, ‘Oh, okay, I can send in these auditions but I’m a pro wrestler.’ I really enjoy being a pro wrestler and everything it’s given me. I don’t think I’ll ever leave this place [WWE].”
Of course, wrestlers starring in big Hollywood movies is nothing new — not by a long shot. This wouldn’t even be the first time one has appeared in a Marvel movie: Kevin Nash famously beat the s*** out of Thomas Jane in “The Punisher” as the Russian. That said, this would have been a huge role for a guy with very little meaningful acting experience.
Randy Orton wasn’t the only person who nearly played Cable
WWE
Orton has dipped his toes into the acting pool here and there, with roles in movies like “12 Rounds 2: Reloaded” and “Changeland,” among others. All due respect, but those aren’t remotely big enough to justify handing over the keys to a character as important as Cable. Let’s not forget that Brolin originally revealed that he was supposed to play the character four times in the “X-Men” universe. That didn’t pan out, but Fox believed Cable was going to be a major player. Then the Disney/Fox deal came along in 2019 and changed everything.
It’s not that wrestlers can’t become hugely effective actors. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena have all become major A-list stars. They’ve also all played big comic book characters, with Johnson playing Black Adam, Bautista portraying Drax the Destroyer, and Cena playing Peacemaker. For whatever reason, Orton’s audition didn’t convince the powers that be to give him that chance.
For what it’s worth, Fox and director David Leitch cast a pretty wide net to find their Cable. Michael Shannon was originally going to play Cable after having previously played Zod in “Man of Steel.” Unfortunately, there was a last-minute conflict, which opened the door for Brolin to take over. Other actors such as Dolph Lundgren (“Rocky IV”) and Stephen Lang (“Avatar”) had thrown their hats in the ring before Brolin landed the role.
Now, Brolin is arguably one of the most important actors in Marvel history. He also ended up playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring as the Mad Titan in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” While Brolin didn’t appear as Cable in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the door is still open for him to suit up again as the Multiverse Saga continues to unfold.
“Deadpool 2” is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.