Deadpool Director Reveals Why He Quit the Sequel

Tim Miller helped turn the R-rated, modestly-budgeted Deadpool into one of the biggest hits of 2016, but in October he quit as director of Deadpool 2. Miller has now spoken about his decision to leave the sequel.

In an interview with CG Garage, Miller explained that he was resistant to making Deadpool 2 a bigger film than the original. "I didn't want to make some stylized movie that was three times the budget," he said. "If you read the internet--who cares, really? But for those of you who do, I wanted to make the same kind of movie that we made before because I think that's the right movie to make for the character. So don't believe what you read on the internet."

Miller went on to explain that, contrary to comments made last month by star Ryan Reynolds, his experience of making Deadpool was a positive one. "Even when some people go, 'The movie was really hard to make', the movie was a joy to make. I think you see it on screen. We all had such a good time. We had a few arguments in post, but nothing more than usual.

"The crew was so great, everybody was going to come back and we were going to have such a good time and the idea that it was a difficult movie… it wasn't, it was a joy, and it was the best experience of my life."

Miller's comments follow those made by Reynolds this week, who suggested that Deadpool 2 wouldn't be the bigger film that the director suggests it might be. "We have to resist the temptation to make it bigger in scale and scope, which is normally what you do when you have a surprise hit movie," he told EW. "But actually stay true to the tenets that it's the tone and the style and the humor that make it so special. It's not the explosions and the special effects."

Deadpool 2 will now directed by David Leitch, who previously made the cult action hit John Wick and the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 2. While it does not yet have a confirmed release date, Fox recently announced the dates for two movies featuring X-Men characters. Deadpool 2 is expected to be one of these, alongside New Mutants.