Leaked Deadpool 2 Pics Draw Attention To The Merc’s New Allies

Whereas April was all about Solo: A Star Wars Story, Empire Magazine has shifted the focus over to Deadpool 2 with its latest issue, and it even features an exclusive subscriber-only cover designed by comic book legend Rob Liefeld.

He’s the creator responsible for the Merc With a Mouth, so it’s fair to say that Liefeld knows a thing or two about what makes Wade Wilson tick – hell, being among the first to see Deadpool 2 even brought the esteemed writer to tears, which really says more about his deep, unabiding love for the Merc, rather than the sequel’s emotional beats.

Because in the eyes of Ryan Reyolds, Deadpool 2 is a family movie masquerading as a comic book flick – just as the original played up the impassioned love story between Wade and Vanessa. And that can largely be traced back to the addition of Russell (AKA Hot Stuff), a young mutant who finds himself between the crosshairs of Cable, leaving the Merc With a Mouth with little choice but to save the kid by any means necessary.

All of this (and more!) unfolds in the latest Deadpool 2 gallery, which is pulled from the pages of Empire Magazine (h/t CBM):

You’ll have to excuse the potato quality, as these images appear to have been scanned from the magazine itself, rather than uploaded through an official channel. But fear not; we’ll update this gallery if and when Empire unveils the real deal.

We are, at the time of writing, only four full days away from the U.S. release of Deadpool 2, and we couldn’t be more excited. Up next? Drew Goddard’s X-Force, which will bring about the introduction of new characters and a possible R rating. Though if the Merc’s involved, it’s really a question of when, rather than if, Fox makes the film’s adult rating official.