There is a trend among sequels to go even bigger than their predecessors as a way of upping the ante. This involves taking things to a darker, more serious level as characters are pushed even further than before. Such seems to be the case with DEADPOOL 2, which sports much bigger visual effects and will have, according to actress Zazie Beetz, a heavier tone.
The actress spoke with Comic Book during the press tour for ATLANTA: ROBBIN’ SEASON, where she said that the movie will explore darker themes than the first.
In Deadpool 2 I think we go heavier than the first one did. Like Atlanta, the themes are darker. I liked playing this woman who could meet Deadpool face-to-face and toe-to-toe. In terms of our wit and our banter, we match. It really was nice to play that.
Beetz also talked about getting into the character of Domino, a mutant with telekinetic abilities, and exploring the “dramatic parts” of her. However, the movie is not all gloom and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) writing poetry, and Beetz said she was able to tap into the comedy and build a nice chemistry with Reynolds. “In terms of our wit and our banter, we match,” she said.
The first DEADPOOL succeeded in large part thanks to its biting sense of humor and pure sense of fun. Taking things down a darker route may not be exactly what audiences are looking for, but taking the characters more seriously and proving they have a story to tell is key to establishing their place in this big, wide, swath of comic book movies. I can get behind a story with heavier themes as long as the movie keeps the, you know, dick jokes and suck.
DEADPOOL 2 arrives May 18.