The saga of who is going to play Cable in Deadpool 2 just got a whole lot more interesting. There have been a ton of names thrown around for months, but now we have a couple of new, huge actors thrown into the mix. And they are game changers. It looks like none other than superstar Brad Pitt is now at least being considered to some degree for the role of Cable while Nocturnal Animals and Man of Steel star Michael Shannon is the reported frontrunner.

First, The Tracking Board's Jeff Sneider recently, very casually threw Brad Pitt's name out in an otherwise completely unrelated Tweet. There isn't a lot of context provided and it seems like Jeff Sneider could just be throwing out a random "what if" scenario that isn't founded in anything overly concrete. Here is what he had to say in his tweet.

"Will be interesting to see if Brad Pitt plays Cable. In meantime, sounds like Sony is working on a Spider-Man sequel"

Before we proceed, it definitely needs to be said that this is not coming from any sort of official source so, at least for now, this should be regarded as a rumor. That said, what a monumentally big deal this could be. Brad Pitt, one of the biggest names in Hollywood, is possibly in the running for Cable. There have been tons of guys' names thrown around in the past such as Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan, but Brad Pitt is on another level. He may not have been a name that would come to mind initially, but there is no doubt that Brad Pitt is an outstanding actor, and it would be foolish to think he couldn't pull something like this off.

As for Michael Shannon? That is coming from a very reliable source and it seems like the only thing possibly getting in the way is scheduling. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-nominated actor is now the studio's top choice for the role of Cable. The actor recently signed on for the movie What They Had, which is scheduled to start shooting this spring. With Deadpool 2 looking to start shooting soon as well, that could make things tricky. Either way, both of these names are huge and could bring even more attention to Deadpool 2, as if that were possible at this point.

As interesting of a prospect as this may be, Brad Pitt and Michael Shannon both like to stay very busy. That isn't to say either of them totally avoid franchises. Brad Pitt did all three Oceans movies and is currently working on World War Z 2. Michael Shannon did Man of Steel and, at least as a dead body, portrayed Zodd again in Batman V Superman: Dawnof Justice (or, rather, a plaster cast of his entire body did). Playing Cable would likely mean a pretty lengthy commitment for a few sequels, including the X-Force movie and possibly Deadpool 3, both of which are already in development. It is a little hard to imagine that a guy like Brad Pitt or a guy as in-demand as Michael Shannon would commit to something like that, but stranger things have happened.

Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick recently stated that the actor playing Cable would be announced soon, so any name that comes up from now until the announcement is made has an extra layer of intrigue attached to it. Recently, it was revealed Stranger Things star David Harbour was also being considered for the role, and THR noted that he is still in the mix. Similar to Domino, the actors being considered seem to run the gamut from superstar to relatively unknown. The role of Domino ultimately went to Atlanta star Zazie Beetz, who has virtually no name recognition. She beat out other actresses like Sienna Miller, Scandal star Kerry Washington and recent Oscar-winner Janelle Monae. That being the case, it would seem like the creative team just wants the best person for the job. But casting a big name like Brad Pitt or Michael Shannon certainly wouldn't hurt anything.

It will be very interesting to see who ultimately winds up playing Cable and to see who will be trying to keep up with Ryan Reynolds. This whole Brad Pitt thing could turn out to be nothing, but if Fox is even considering bringing him on board, it will really show that they are not messing around when it comes to this franchise. Michael Shannon would also be a huge get coming off of his recent Oscar nomination. Things are heating up in a big way, Deadpool fans.

Deadpool 2 is being directed by David Leitch who is taking over for Tim Miller after he departed the project late last year. The movie does not yet have a release date but will be shooting sometime this year with an anticipated release sometime in 2018. We will be sure to keep you up to date as more details about Wade Wilson's next adventure become available.