Deadpool 2 is already in production, so the recent loss of director Tim Miller—who walked over creative differences that arose “amicably” between him and star Ryan Reynolds—could be seen as a bit of a hurdle for 20th Century Fox to clear. The studio’s looking for a new director, though it’s not clear whether studio execs have been forwarded that online petition to bring Quentin Tarantino on board. But it looks like the list of options is growing ever shorter, as Mashable reports that John Wick co-director David Leitch is the current frontrunner. The publication’s sources indicate that, while no formal offer has been made, Leitch is the studio’s top pick.
A few other unnamed directors remain in the pool, but apparently Reynolds’ own agency, WME, has been making the push for Leitch. The former Matrix trilogy stunt coordinator has certainly been on an upward trajectory—he was poised to share directing duties on John Wick: Chapter 2 with Chad Stahelski, but he left the project for the Charlize Theron-led The Coldest City earlier this year. All this, and Leitch wasn’t originally credited for his directing work on the first John Wick movie. If he does take over for Miller on Deadpool 2, Leitch will be in familiar company; he was an action coordinator on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which introduced Reynolds as Wade Wilson. But if it doesn’t work out, Leitch still has plenty of opportunities to direct on his own features: He’s attached to Cowboy Ninja Viking, starring Chris Pratt, as well as an adaptation of Valiant’s Bloodshot.