LOS ANGELES — With the news that Deadpool 2 director Tim Miller has exited the sequel due to "creative differences" with star Ryan Reynolds, the question turns to who might replace him. It won't exactly be easy, given Miller's tremendous influence on the first film, but it won't exactly be hard either, considering how many talented directors there are in Hollywood.

Whoever comes aboard will have to get along with Reynolds, who was given more creative control on the sequel, including casting approval. 20th Century Fox has high hopes for Deadpool 2, but if the studio wants to keep its star happy, it needs to make a bold hire, not a safe one.

With that in mind, Mashable can offer some helpful suggestions for directors who could help take the Merc With a Mouth to the next level — the billion-dollar mark.

THE ACTION INGENUES

"Hardcore" director Ilya Naishuller would be a perfect fit for "Deadpool 2." Image: Ekaterina Chesnokova/Sputnik via AP

Imagine Deadpool 2 in the hands of Gareth Evans, the director of The Raid movies. Wouldn't that be something? What about Ben Wheatley, whose upcoming Free Fire is a misfire that nonetheless delivers hard-hitting action amid some dark laughs. Perhaps you'd rather see Joe Lynch take a crack at the sequel's new addition Domino, considering what he accomplished visually on a low budget with Everly. All three would be interesting choices, but none more so than Ilya Naishuller, the director of Hardcore, which shared a similar sensibility with Deadpool. Naishuller is an inventive filmmaker who just might be the perfect match for Reynolds & Co.

THE RUNNERS-UP

Jonathan Levine has tackled cancer with humor before in "50/50." Image: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

For every director who lands a high-profile job in Hollywood, there are dozens more who missed out. They are the runners-up, the directors who came oh-so-close to directing a comic book movie in recent years. They range from Rawson Marshall Thurber, Ruben Fleischer and David Wain, all of whom lost the Ant-Man gig to Peyton Reed when Edgar Wright fell out, to Rupert Wyatt (who ceded the director's chair of Gambit to Doug Liman), to John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who lost the Spider-Man: Homecoming gig to Jon Watts before signing on to write the superhero movie. With the exception of Wyatt, all of these filmmakers are well-versed in comedy, and let's be honest — Deadpool was special because of its sense of humor, not because of its action sequences.

But there was another reason Deadpool stood out, and that's how the filmmakers dealt with the topic of Wade Wilson's cancer. That's why our choice from this group would be Jonathan Levine, who actually took himself out of contention to direct the new Spider-Man movie. Levine previously directed the cancer dramedy 50/50 and showed off his visual chops with Warm Bodies, which like Deadpool, was a self-aware genre movie. 20th Century Fox is already high on Levine, who is directing its Amy Schumer-Goldie Hawn action-comedy. Levine will be in demand after that film, and the studio would be wise to stay in business with him.

THE INTERNATIONALS

Fede Alvarez's "Don't Breathe" was one of this summer's sleeper hits. Image: Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP

There are so many talented directors coming to Hollywood from overseas, and it's possible that Deadpool 2 would benefit from an outsider's touch, since the character himself is a bit of an outsider when it comes to the Marvel universe.

Now, someone like Roar Uthaug (The Wave) is immediately disqualified, since he's busy working on the new Tomb Raider movie starring Alicia Vikander. That film has a firm release date, so unless Deadpool 2 was significantly delayed, Uthaug wouldn't be available. But don't worry, there are plenty of other options, including Spanish filmmakers Jaume Collet-Serra (hot off The Shallows) and Nacho Vigalondo (whose Colossal will surprise people), and Israeli directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado. The latter duo directed the Israeli revenge movie Big Bad Wolves, and it's possible they're the next Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, the Kon-Tiki directors who just wrapped the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

And yet, for our money, 20th Century Fox couldn't go wrong with Fede Alvarez, who scored a #1 hit with Don't Breathe this summer. Alvarez and cinematographer Pedro Luque are known for their stylish visuals, and they'd be a great addition to the Deadpool sequel.

THE WOMAN WHO DESERVES ANOTHER CHANCE

Karyn Kusama showed that she's ready for bigger things with "The Invitation." Image: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn

It's unfortunate, but Hollywood doesn’t give women many second chances. Remember when CAA wanted to drop Kathryn Bigelow after K-19: The Widowmaker? Unlike their male counterparts, female directors have to earn their second chance.

Karyn Kusama has certainly done just that.

Kusama found herself in Director Jail following the back-to-back disappointments of Aeon Flux and Jennifer's Body, but she recently redeemed herself with The Invitation, which is one of the best films of the year, genre or otherwise. Kusama may not have the comedy background one would expect from the director of Deadpool 2, but having had lunch with her earlier this year, I can vouch for her sharp sense of humor. She also has experience with visual effects thanks to Aeon Flux, and works closely with Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who worked with Reynolds on R.I.P.D. Perhaps an introduction lies in her future?

THE UP-AND-COMERS

Chris McKay's "The Lego Batman Movie" shares a similar tongue-in-cheek sensibility with Deadpool. Image: Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP

There are so many guys in this category who would be an interesting fit for Deadpool 2, from Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and Peter Atencio (Keanu) to Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) and Dexter Fletcher, the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels actor who just directed Eddie the Eagle for Fox.

There's also James DeMonaco, who feels ready to move on from The Purge franchise; Adam Wingard, whose genre films The Guest and You're Next showcased a wicked sense of humor, and Alex Garland, who wrote and produced Dredd before making his directorial debut with Ex Machina.

But the most intriguing up-and-comer might be Chris McKay, the director of The Lego Batman Movie, which seems to share a similar tongue-in-cheek sensibility with the Deadpool character. His background is in animation, but he's likely more than capable of handling a major live-action assignment.

THE INDIE GUYS

"Green Room" director Jeremy Saulnier would make every hit hurt in "Deadpool 2." Image: AP Photo/Keystone/Urs Flueele

Admittedly, these three are young, but there's no doubt they're hungry. I'm talking about the 3 J's — JD Dillard, Justin Tipping and Jeremy Saulnier. Hey, if Jon Watts can go from Cop Car to Spider-Man: Homecoming, these three can make a similar leap.

Tipping burst onto the scene this year with his directorial debut Kicks. He grew up in the Bay Area with Ryan Coogler, who went from Fruitvale Station to Black Panther in a few short years (with Creed as a stepping stone in between). Tipping has an edge to him, as does JD Dillard, whose directorial debut Sleight wowed Sundance audiences and will hit theaters next spring courtesy of Blumhouse.

And yet, Saulnier is the better fit for Deadpool 2, judging by his work in Green Room and Blue Ruin. Saulnier accomplished a lot with very little, and something tells me he could work similar wonders with Deadpool 2, which will surely see its budget increased, but should remain far cheaper than most superhero movies. That was part of the charm of the first film. Deadpool wasn't about being the biggest and the best, it worked because its goal was to be different. Saulnier is a unique filmmaker who could step up and knock this sequel out of the park.

THE HEAVY HITTERS

No mission is impossible for Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie, not even "Deadpool 2." Image: Dennis Van Tine/Geisler-Fotopres/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Yes, someone started a petition to have Quentin Tarantino direct Deadpool 2, but let's be serious — that's never going to happen. Sure, it'd be cool to see Edgar Wright or Matthew Vaughn put their stamp on the character, but again, that's unlikely. The same goes for Guy Ritchie, Luc Besson, Peter Berg, George Miller, the Wachowski siblings and Scott Derrickson, the latter of whom will probably be focused on the continuing adventures of Doctor Strange once that Marvel movie opens next month. Shane Black (The Predator), Robert Rodriguez (Alita: Battle Angel) and Neill Blomkamp (The Gone World) are all developing other movies at Fox, while F. Gary Gray is putting the finishing touches on Fast 8. Mel Gibson would be interesting given his propensity for exciting visuals, but he doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor. Todd Phillips has the reverse problem, where he has the comedy chops for Deadpool 2, but his films aren't that exciting visually. That leaves one man for this impossible mission — Christopher McQuarrie.

Yes, he's busy prepping Mission: Impossible 6, but can you imagine McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for The Usual Suspects, feeding lines to Ryan Reynolds? McQuarrie has pulled off some breathtaking action sequences in the Mission franchise, and it'd be very cool to see him take a crack at a comic book movie.



BONUS: How to make a homemade 'Deadpool' costume



