Deadpool: How Will New Director Tim Miller Fare?

Over the weekend, it was announced that Deadpool, the long-in-the-making solo film featuring Ryan Reynolds as Marvel's beloved, deadly-sarcastic titular "Merc with a Mouth" had finally nabbed a director in effects artists Tim Miller.


While the man has never sat in the director's chair, his visual effects resume is full of impressive titles like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Night At The Museum, X2, and Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes.

Yet, for a film in which enthusiasm of the fans, the character's very tweet-vocal creator Rob Liefeld, and even its would-be star himself are teeming with momentum, it does seem a bit odd that Fox would stick a journeyman director on such a potentially lucrative film.

Should we take it as a sign?

With Robert Rodriguez strongly rumored to be circling the project, conventional wisdom seemed to indicate that big name directors would be scrapping amongst themselves to nab this gig. (And for all we know, they may have.) Instead, in an unlikely development, an effects artists (albeit a very successful one) lands the coveted job.

Originally conceived as a spin-off of 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in which Reynolds played Wade Wilson, the ultra-talkative mercenary who would become Deadpool, the film has since been re-branded, declaring its independence from the storyline canon of the X-prequel. However, it's been a difficult process getting it off the ground, most notably due to star Ryan Reynolds' commitment to Warner Bros. in his other big superhero franchise, starting with this June's Green Lantern. The Corps may possibly get him locked-in to two back-to-back sequels. (At least one is guaranteed.) So, Fox has found itself with a choice to either move forward with someone else, or just let the project stew.

The appointment of Tim Miller might therefore be a sign that Fox is under no delusion that this film will hit anytime soon. No big-name director could possibly make a commitment where so many things are still up in the air. On the other hand, Miller doesn't have that problem and will have all the time he'll need to get to know the new workplace, figure out how the coffee machine works, and learn all the other in's and outs.

With Fox's Comic Book Movie Queen, Lauren Shuler Donner watching over him, he could parlay his technical skills into a palpable vision.

As of now, a script has been in development for some time by Zombieland's Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, so it was always clear that we'd be in store for a film that handles dark vibes with a tinge of irreverence, keeping in theme with the comics. Tim Miller's expertise could complement that atmosphere quite well, with intense, eye-gouging, over-the-top action that will fit into the things that make studio execs giddy. -- Most notably 3D, in which Tim Miller will bring a measure of expertise, since his background includes 3D artistry.

Have any thoughts on the current state of Deadpool?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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