Deadpool will be joined by some new, violent friends in Deadpool 2, the sequel to his 2016 blowout success. One of those will be the mutant Domino, a member of the X-Force and a frequent guest character in Deadpool and his buddy Cable’s comics. And while a casting announcement for Domino has yet to be made, there are some popular frontrunners and (somewhat) obvious choices out there to play Marvel’s probability master.
Domino (aka Neena Thurman) possesses a mutation that allows her to “subliminally and psionically initiate random telekinetic acts that affect probability in her favor by making improbable (but not impossible) things to occur within her line of sight.” Basically: she has the ability to make herself notably lucky — miraculously dodging a barrage of gunfire, making a seemingly improbable shot, falling in just the right way to not break a bone — and her opponents notably unlucky. Hence the name Domino: things tend to fall into place for the mercenary.
To be the perfect Domino, an actor is going to need expressive eyebrows, killer cheekbones, and a sharp chin. And, of course, physical prowess and experience in tragic backstories.
Here are 5 actresses who’d be perfect to play Neena Thurman’s Domino in Deadpool 2.
5. Sofia Boutella
Boutella was thrust into the spotlight after blowing her role as fan-favorite Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond out of the water. She played Samuel L. Jackson’s strongwoman, a human-sword cyborg, in Kingsman: The Secret Service (another film based on a comic series) and will star as the very ancient, very angry Princess Ahmanet in the upcoming The Mummy reboot, where she’ll most likely chase Tom Cruise through a pyramid.
While Boutella’s other franchise roles have depicted her as a more subdued, silent fury kind of character, her stint as Jaylah solidified her as a solid, physical character actor. That’s exactly the kind of touch Domino would need.
4. Mackenzie Davis
The next big project on Davis’ plate is Blade Runner 2049, which will put Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling at the helm. Nothing is known of Davis’ role in the film yet, but, obviously, she’s comfortable in a fantastical role, something that would be sorely needed in a Domino actor. Davis also played the vital role of Mindy Park — the NASA engineer who figured out Matt Damon’s Mark Watney was still alive — in The Martian.
Davis is best known for her role in what’s often referred to as the best episode of the anthology series Black Mirror, “San Junipero.” She played Yorkie, a woman who’s paralyzed and living off life support, one of the two main characters in the episode. Davis might have to work hard to get the physical side of things down, but she’s got the intelligence and tragic backstory down pat.
3. Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Starring alongside Davis in Black Mirror’s “San Junipero” was Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who played Kelly, a woman dying of terminal cancer. Mbatha-Raw has had a solid drama and sci-fi/fantasy career between her brief stint on Doctor Who, her role in Jupiter Ascending, acting alongside Matthew McConaughey in Free State of Jones, and being cast as Dr. Kate Murry in the upcoming A Wrinkle in Time.
Much like Davis, Mbatha-Raw would have to work at the more physical side of things for the Domino role, but she would, undoubtedly, kill it.
2. Ruby Rose
The Australian Ruby Rose is best known for her role as Stella on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. So there’s all the drama you could ever need. On top of the drama are her more recent projects, xXx: Return of Xander Cage and John Wick: Chapter 2, where Rose plays two very different types of badass killers.
In xXx, Rose’s Adele Wolff is a teal-haired queer lady with a reputation for being good at her job (which involves lots of guns) and plenty of smirks to go around. Ares, Rose’s character in the John Wick sequel, outshines Keanu Reeves in his own pet project as the mute henchwoman with zero fucks to give. Rose is capable of playing both cool and miraculously unhinged characters with bones to pick and people to kill, making her the perfect potential Domino.
1. Kerry Washington
At 40, Kerry Washington is the oldest member on the list. But she’s also the highest-profile name and the one who has rumors about her casting as Domino spreading around the internet like wildfire. People are either psyched or terrified that Washington’s resume is lacking more physical roles for her to draw experience from. But if there’s one thing the world knows, it’s that Olivia Pope from Scandal can handle anything thrown her way.
Washington’s only other comics experience is in 2007’s disastrous Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but she was also in the Quentin Tarantino cowboy bloodbath Django Unchained, so violence isn’t totally out of the picture. Plus, just imagine Reynolds’ Wade Wilson trying to pull one over on a Domino played by Washington. It’s a pretty great image.
