We’ve previously covered the conflicting reports surrounding ‘Deadpool 2’ – specifically, the film’s reshoots and test screenings. While some sources (second hand) are claiming that the film bombed in test screenings and that the reshoots are basically an attempt to salvage a disappointing follow up, other (anonymously sourced) accounts insist that the opposite is true, that the early cut performed well and the reshoots are simply to provide new characters Cable and Domino with more screen time in light of positive audience response.

There’s little concrete information in the whole affair, as both accounts give you plenty of reason to remain skeptical, especially if you have some emotional investment in either narrative. Additionally, there has yet to be any official word on the subject, though we now have the next best thing. Speaking at MCM Comic Con, Brianna Hildebrand (who plays Negasonic Teenage Warhead in both ‘Deadpool’ and the upcoming sequel) commented on the recent flurry of rumors, and her remarks (perhaps unsurprisingly) seem to align with the more positive account:

“No, it was nothing that had gone wrong. I think it’s a common misconception too – that people think that reshoots are to fix things that people didn’t like. A lot of the time, reshoots are to add more of the things that people loved. [Filmmakers] watch their films again and are like “better fix that.” I don’t know how much I can say about that. Usually films hate it when you talk about their reshoots – solely because people think that it’s because the film was bad for the test audience – but it was all good.”

So there you have it. While not an official statement, it’s the closest we’ve had to date (and, frankly, the closest we’re likely to get). And she’s not wrong. While there have been some high-profile cases in the past few years where reshoots were a transparently desperate attempt to save a film that arguably ended up doing more harm than good (‘Suicide Squad’ comes to mind), there are also plenty of cases in which fans panicked at the word that reshoots were being conducted, only to find that it was much ado about nothing (remember ‘Rogue One’?). In either case, we’ll know the truth of the matter in two months time…

Directed by David Leitch, ‘Deadpool 2’ will see Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Leslie Uggams, Stafan Kapicic, and Brianna Hildebrand reprise their roles from the original alongside newcomers Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz and Jack Kesy. The film is due to arrive in theaters on May 18, 2018.