Deadpool 2 director promises he'll keep the film's DNA intact

'It’s going to be fun to spin out the world a little bit and expand it. But we want to stay true to that, the little superhero movie that could. It is the fun irreverent movie'

Deadpool 2 hit an unexpected bump in the road when returning director Tim Miller suddenly dropped out of the project.

The jury's still out as to precisely what happened. Insiders claim it was due to a clash of visions between Miller and star Ryan Reynolds - specifically over Miller's apparent desire to deliver a flashy, mega-budget superhero film versus Reynolds (alongside writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick)'s desire to keep things scrappy, raunchy, and inexpensive.

Miller himself, however, has since refuted those claims. It's hard to know now exactly what triggered Miller's departure, though it certainly seems like Deadpool 2's new director, David Leitch, is keen to keep the DNA of the first film intact.

"There is this fun irreverent nature to Deadpool which is why I fell in love with it," Leitch told JoBlo. "Which is why I’m honored to be a part of the franchise. I think you want to keep the DNA of that. It’s going to be fun to spin out the world a little bit and expand it. You just have to on a sequel. But we want to stay true to that, the little superhero movie that could. It is the fun irreverent movie."

"It’s in our DNA to take the stunts in an organic way as well and take it more in a practical way," he added. "Maybe go bigger. But it’s not about bigger, Deadpool is always about playing against the expectations of superhero movies and I think that is why it was so successful. Or one of the reasons it was so successful because it plays against those expectations."

"And we need to make sure that the action is really furthering the characters and moving the story along. And we are having fun with the action. It’s not action for spectacle, it’s action for Deadpool’s character. And giving him a platform for another physical device for comedy and character as well."

Leitch is serving as producer on John Wick: Chapter Two, having co-directed the first instalment with Chad Stahelski, with the latter now taking solo directing credit on its sequel; a franchise whose stylish, frenetic approach to action is an incredibly optimistic indicator of how Deadpool 2 could very well turn out.

Deadpool 2 is set for release on 2 March 2018.