So why are Cable and Deadpool going toe-to-bionic toe in Deadpool 2, anyway? The whole thing seems to be about a kid, played by Hunt for the Wilderpeople‘s Julian Dennison, a fire-controlling mutant that Cable needs to kill for some reason and Deadpool decides to protect. So who is this kid? Is he a known character from the Marvel comics? Well, a couple of recent TV spots may have given us his identity.
A bunch of TV spots aired during The Walking Dead over the weekend, and one of them actually revealed the kid’s name: Russell. Here’s that spot now…
#WalkingDeadpool may be done, but you and me… We’re just getting started. Tickets for #Deadpool2 are on sale Thursday. pic.twitter.com/bf1xFx0bYj— Deadpool Movie (@deadpoolmovie) April 16, 2018
Okay so his name is Russell. What does that prove? Nothing, but there is a relatively well-known mutant with those powers, that name, and a connection to X-Force. That would be Russell “Rusty” Collins, who briefly went by the name Firefist. A pyrokinetic, he first comes to the attention of X-Factor who help him get control of his dangerous powers. He forges a lasting relationship with fellow mutant Sally “Skids” Blevins (they were inseparable) and they stick around with the team for a while. They would eventually break off and hook up with the New Mutants who would eventually become the X-Force. He would later be brainwashed by Stryfe, the evil clone of Cable (!!!), and forced to become a villain. Firefist is later killed by Holocaust, the time-displaced son of Apocalypse.
So maybe it’s him, maybe he’s just some kid named Russell. Who knows? We’ll find out for sure when Deadpool 2 opens on May 18th. Check out another “Kid”-focused TV spot below.
