Among the many casting announcements for Deadpool over the last several months is Silicon Valley star T.J. Miller, but so far 20th Century Fox hasn’t revealed who he’ll be playing. Many comic book fans using deductive reasoning have suspected he’s playing the Merc with a Mouth’s friend Weasel, especially after rereading the casting description from February for a character with the pseudonym "Simon." Now the actor has seemingly confirmed that he will be playing the abused sidekick.
When a fan made a comment on Twitter about the days when Miller used to be thin, the actor responded by hinting in hashtags that his weight gain is due to his portrayal of Weasel in the 2016 blockbuster.
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Weasel, a recurring Deadpool character since 1993, would certainly line up with the character description for this Simon fellow. The characteristics listed included "smart, funny, but more than a little bit slippery" and "fast talker, always looking to make a buck." The description also stated that the role would require three sequel options, so if Deadpool 2 gets greenlit, then we’ll almost certainly be seeing Miller reprise the shifty two-timer.
Weasel, whose real name is Jack Hammer, was an intelligent high school student who was attempting to score a job working under industrialist Norman Osborn. Unfortunately for him, a future version of Deadpool accidentally traveled back to the past and recognized his younger pal. After ruining Weasel’s chances of getting the job (he told Osborn that Weasel used drugs), Deadpool manipulated the teen into fixing his teleportation belt so he could return to his own time. Subsequently, Weasel saw no other option than to turn to crime, and getting involved with Deadpool again, his life would know nothing but chaos from that point forward.
He has typically served as Deadpool’s informant and occasional arms dealer over the years, but the two of them often hang out with each other as buddies. The downside to this association is he has often been on the receiving end of Deadpool’s mood swings and shenanigans, and consequently, he has taken several opportunities to screw over the mercenary in return. Weasel’s only other appearance outside of comic books was in the 2006 video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
Weasel is one of several Marvel characters who will be seen alongside the titular anti-hero, including Colossus and Angel Dust, as well as Morena Baccarin’s currently-unnamed character (who we suspect to be either Domino or Copycat). Unlike those other characters, however, Weasel doesn’t have superpowers, so when the bullets start flying and Deadpool’s swords start swinging, he’ll want to hide under a table or run like hell. Preferably the latter.
Deadpool will be released in theaters on February 12, 2016.
