‘Deadpool 2’ Character Guide

The movie that made R-rated superheroes cool -- and phenomenally successful at the box office -- now has a sequel. The very violent, trash-talking mutant mercenary known as Deadpool is back, and he’s bringing some new friends while also still hanging out with his old pals. There are a lot of characters on screen in Deadpool 2, so here’s a guide to help you sort them out.

Wade Wilson, aka the “Merc with a Mouth,” is a cancer-surviving but disfigured mutant mercenary with healing powers. Irreverent and self-deprecating, he likes to crack jokes while kicking butt. After getting back his girl, Vanessa, in the first movie, Deadpool is now ready to form a “family.”

Deadpool’s main squeeze returns for more squeezing and also potentially some sort of “evolution” of the character. Will Vanessa finally reveal her shapeshifting mutant power, as she does in the comics, and start going by the name Copycat?

Nathan Summers, a telekinetic and telepathic warrior from the future, is on a mission to stop a dangerous mutant child from growing up and becoming a murderer, and he won’t let Deadpool stand in his way. Cable’s cybernetic parts are caused by a virus he’s infected with, and his anger is caused by his having lost his wife and daughter.

Russell Collins is a teenage mutant orphan whose pyrotechnic powers manifest at a very emotional time in his life. He experiences a lot of rage and angrily shoots fireballs out of his hands. Now he’s also got a warrior from the future after him.

Neena Thurman is a sarcastic, government-engineered mutant mercenary with the power of good luck, causing probability to go in her favor in all kinds of situations. One of the members of the ragtag X-Force team, Domino is capable of taking down Deadpool in a fight if need be.

Jesse Aaronson, another member of X-Force, is a mutant with control over any electrical field, including a person’s neural chemistry. That means he can manipulate your brain and make you confused.

Another member of X-Force, Shatterstar is a bioengineered mutant from another world, where he was raised to be the greatest gladiator of all time. He also creates shockwaves with his two swords, and he has hollow bones, like a bird.

Axel Cluney, another member of X-Force, is a mutant with a deadly puking power. That’s right, he spews acid vomit that can incinerate its victims. Zeitgeist, who enjoys skating, graffiti and tattoos, is obviously a bit on the extreme side.

The one non-mutant member of X-Force, Peter is just a regular guy who answers Deadpool’s ad in the paper and wants to be part of a team. His super power is that he’s nice, which isn’t a super power at all.

Pyotr Rasputin is a humorless member of the X-Men who can transform his whole body into steel. After working with Deadpool in the first movie, Colossus now aims to keep the loudmouth mercenary on a moral path.

Ellie Phimister is a young member of the X-Men with the power to create blasts of atomic energy. Despite how annoying Deadpool was to her in the first movie, NTW is back by his side. It helps that she has a special new reason to be less angsty this time around.

Taxi driver Dopinder returns as Deadpool’s chauffeur and maybe his biggest fan. He wants to be just like his mutant friend, despite the fact that he has no powers and is so innocent and friendly and always smiling -- basically the opposite of Deadpool.

Deadpool’s elderly, visually impaired roommate is back to spar with the self-loathing antihero. She is still not taking any of his crap, but she’s also on hand to listen and offer advice when Deadpool needs a maternal sort of influence.

Deadpool’s best friend and owner of a bar catering to mercenaries, Weasel continues to be a big help to his super pal, supplying weapons and sardonic wisdom. This time, he also gets to join the fight with a gun of his own.

One of the villains of the movie, the Headmaster runs a school for gifted youngsters, but it’s nothing like Professor Xavier’s academy. He teaches kids to suppress their powers, and in most cases he also uses torture to achieve his goal.