Who is Domino? 5 things to know about the 'Deadpool 2' character

Culture

In 2014, Fox took a chance by green-lighting an R-rated film about a fourth-wall breaking, life-taking, potty-mouth named Deadpool — perhaps you've heard of him? And boy did that chance pay off. In 2016, Deadpool cruised to an R-rated record of $783 million worldwide, earned rave reviews and even snatched a Golden Globe nomination for best picture (musical or comedy) — an award that at least one writer (this one) believes it should have won

The success of Deadpool made a sequel a no-brainer, with recent reports from Deadline suggesting that down the line, the franchise will eventually merge with the in-development X-Force film. And while not much is known about Deadpool 2 yet, we are aware of at least two new characters who will be making an appearance: Cable and Domino. 

Cable's appearance in Deadpool 2 has been teased and rumored for some time, but he has yet to be cast — actors from Pierce Brosnan to Russell Crowe have been floated around for the role. As for Domino, we now know, courtesy of Ryan Reynold's Twitter, that she will be played by Atlanta's Zazie Beetz. But who exactly is Domino? Glad you asked! Here is what you need to know about Deadpool 2's latest addition.

1. Project: Armageddon 

Somewhat similarly to Laura Kinney aka X-23 (who you know if you've seen Logan), Domino was born as part of a breeding program. In fact, just like X-23, she was bred for the sole purpose of becoming a weapon. The name of the program, in Domino's case, was Project: Armageddon. 

Domino, whose real name is Neena Thurman, was one of only the survivors of the project. Still, Thurman's power (more on that in a moment) was not considered a success, and she was slated for elimination. Domino only escaped her death because her mother rescued her from the project, eventually delivering her into the care of a priest. 

2. Powers

Domino's powers can be highly useful, but extremely unpredictable. Essentially, she has the power of good luck — an ability many wish they enjoyed. Marvel's official character page on Domino does a great job illustrating how her power works. The short of it, though, is that she is able to subconsciously predict outcomes as long as she participates. For example, if you try shooting her and she moves, those bullets will miss. If she does not move, well, she'll probably die — unless your aim stinks.

3. X-Force

Domino eventually turned to a career as a mercenary, before later joining the X-Force team, of which she has since been a consistent member. On occasion, Domino has even served as X-Force's leader. Other prominent past members of X-Force have included Deadpool and Cable, as well as Wolverine and X-23 (it is probably wishful thinking, though, to hope Hugh Jackman appears in an X-Force film). 

Considering Deadpool 2 will likely lead to the X-Force film, it is not unlikely that we will soon see the team take shape on the big screen. And Domino could play a vital role in that regard. 

4. Relationship with Cable

It is not 100% clear how Domino will be fit into Deadpool 2, but with Cable joining the mix, she is not a surprise addition to the film. Cable and Domino have had a long history that has at times turned romantic. An interesting element of their history, though, is how they first met. 

When Domino first joined Cable's X-Force, it was actually Copycat in disguise. And while that name may not sound familiar to you, if you are a fan of Deadpool, you do know who she is. Copycat is the mutant identity of Vanessa Carlysle, who is Deadpool's girlfriend in the film. 

While Vanessa does not seem to have any of her shape-shifting abilities in Deadpool, it is certainly possible that she will develop them, or otherwise play a role in Domino's initial interactions with Wade Wilson or the X-Force team. 

5. What could Domino look like?

For what Zazie Beetz could look like as Domino, check out this awesome art from BossLogic:

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