Deadpool 2: Filming delays follow director Tim Miller's exit from the sequel

After years of trying to get the film made, Deadpool finally hit theaters this February to insane success, grossing $782 million worldwide. For an R-rated superhero movie with a budget less than half of what most other superhero movies carry, that’s a huge hit for Fox, so obviously the studio wanted to get a sequel going ASAP. [caption id=“attachment_2730786” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ryan Reynolds in ‘Deadpool’[/caption] However, the official announcement didn’t come until April, when Fox confirmed that writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, star Ryan Reynolds, and director Tim Miller were returning — albeit with no release date. However, news of Tim Miller exiting the sequel came around, due to creative differences with Ryan Reynolds according to a report published by Deadline. He hadn’t formally signed a deal to continue, but he was developing the script and by all accounts had planned to return behind the camera for a film Fox will release in 2018. The split was amicable, but it’s an unfortunate turn of events for the team that brought audiences one of the wildest and most-successful adaptations in the superhero genre to date. Junkie XL, the music producer for the film, left following Miller’s exit. He wrote a heartfelt Facebook post about his exit, saying he thought Miller was the heart and soul of the franchise:

Many of the film’s vital elements remain firmly in limbo. Considering the tumultuous nature of the film’s development over the course of the last few weeks, it should come as no surprise that we now definitely expect delays for Deadpool 2’s production. According to a brand new report from Collider, it appears that we can definitely expect some delays to the production of Deadpool 2. With Tim Miller no longer at the helm to steer the overall creative direction of the project, several vital aspects of production have been put on hold. In particular, it seems that the casting process for the female character, Domino, was well underway, but Miller’s departure has brought that to a screeching halt. With Miller gone, things like set costume design have to be suspended until 20th Century Fox can find his replacement. Given these behind-the-scenes changes, the odds of Deadpool 2 actually starting production in early 2017 seem increasingly remote.