Miller Vs. Leitch
The biggest difference between Deadpool and Deadpool 2 was the change of directors, after Tim Miller left because of creative differences and David Leitch signed on. While many people will cite Ryan Reynolds and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick as the catalysts for the first film’s success, it was Miller’s ability to bring all the madness together into a coherent feature that made it work.
In Leitch, Deadpool 2 received a director with an uncanny ability to take the fight scenes to the next level – you only need to watch John Wick and Atomic Blonde to see what his style is. The previous film might’ve been known more for its comedy than outstanding action, but this one raises the bar for action sequences.
At the same time, Miller’s story was easier to follow and not trying to set up several other things. It’s obvious that Deadpool 2 is the launching pad for X-Force, and probably other spinoffs, too, and as such, is stuffed with tons of possibilities. And, in the process, it actually became every comic book film it parodies.
Leitch did a good job of holding it all together, though, even if his style is much different than Miller’s.