Development on Deadpool 2 has been ongoing for a while now, and it’s kind of nice to see 20th Century Fox taking their time on the sequel. The first film was a risky bet, a project the studio had been mulling for years before finally pulling the trigger—albeit with a fraction of the budget that traditional superhero movies have. But the R-rated Deadpool soared to $783 million worldwide and a bona fide franchise was born, and while director Tim Miller exited the sequel, Ryan Reynolds, the producers, and the studio have been working hard to ensure the follow-up exceeds expectations.

They have John Wick co-director David Leitch in the director’s chair, and casting is now ongoing. But since Deadpool 2 is intended to introduce a couple of fan-favorite comics characters, fans have wondered who would be filling these roles. The search for Domino—the female lead—ended a couple of weeks ago with the stellar casting of Atlanta star Zazie Beets, but finding the right actor to play Cable is proving to be a bit more difficult. However, we at Collider can reveal that Reynolds and Co. are aiming very high.

Sources tell us that in casting Cable, Brad Pitt was eyed to take on the role and there was interest on both sides. As of right now he’s moved on, but since this role is very much in flux there’s the possibility that things could change. The actor may soon have his hands full producing and starring in World War Z 2 if that gets a greenlight from Paramount, but this would have been a massive casting coup for the superhero follow-up.

Just this week a report surfaced that Michael Shannon is now the top choice to play Cable, and Stranger Things star David Harbour is also reportedly in the mix. Basically things are very much in flux at this juncture. This is a major role, and one that no doubt includes a commitment to future sequels, an X-Force movie, and even a potential Cable spinoff, so an A-lister like Brad Pitt signing on would have been a huge commitment. But this does tell us that Pitt, someone who’s eschewed superhero fare thus far, is at least mildly interested in dipping his toe into the genre’s waters.

It’s unclear when casting for this role will close and who it will ultimately be, but Leitch, Reynolds, and Fox certainly aren’t messing around here. Deadpool 2 is shaping up to be something special.