We Need A New Colossus: I Nominate Choo-Choo From 'Justified'

The Ryan Reynolds Deadpool movie seems to be looking for a new actor to fill the role of Colossus. According to rumor the character appears in the movie as a sort of heroic contrast to Deadpool --- and no doubt as the straight man to the Looney Tunes-esque lead, and a sponge for all sorts of comedy violence.

Actor Daniel Cudmore, who played Colossus in the X-Men movies, took to Twitter to tell his fans that he won't reprise the role. A physically imposing figure, Cudmore may not have the range that Deadpool requires. Playing the straight man in a comedy is a demanding job for any actor, and calls for an actor with excellent comedy timing.

Fortunately, an unknown but similarly-sized actor recently made his debut in the TV show Justified. With a vacancy for a new Colossus now open, the man they call "Choo-Choo" may be perfect for the job.

Newcomer Duke Davis Roberts made his first appearance as "Choo-Choo," aka Mundo, in the second episode of the FX show's current and final season. Choo-Choo is a large, dumb, and imposing former Army Ranger who acts as muscle for a dangerous crook. Because Justified is a drama with some of the smartest and funniest writing on TV --- it's inspired by the works of Elmore Leonard, after all -- Choo-Choo gets to play the idiot straight man to everyone around him. That may be ideal experience for Deadpool. Roberts is also 6' 5" --- a smidge shorter than Cudmore --- and a trained MMA fighter, so he should be able to handle the action.

Admittedly, most people probably don't care this much about who should play Colossus in Deadpool. He's not a character who's often counted as a favorite. He barely appears in the various animated series, or in the movies, and even in the comics he goes AWOL for long periods of time. But he's my favorite character, and I have strong opinions. John Bolton's Classic X-Men Colossus, and Rick Leonardi's Uncanny X-Men Colossus, left indelible marks on my young psyche, and Colossus remains the character I most want to see on any X-Men team --- which is why I could never get into those cartoons.

Though I expect the Deadpool movie to take a less than respectful approach to the character --- kind of like how the Avengers movie treated Thor --- I have an avid interest in who gets the role. If you're watching Justified, you hopefully agree that Duke Davis Roberts is a perfect fit. If you're not watching Justified, you should be watching Justified.

Unsurprisingly, Roberts would be happy to get the part. When I ran the idea by him on Twitter, he even coined the #Choolossus hashtag.

Hollywood, you need a new Colossus. We have just the man for the job.