Update: Janelle Monáe not cast in ‘Deadpool 2’ (though she would have been perfect)

Domino effect

Fresh off her acting debuts in “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures,” KCK native Janelle Monáe was called a front-runner to step into the action of “Deadpool 2.” According to the online “Hashtag Show,” she had taken over for Kerry Washington as the lead contender to play Domino.

But then news got in the way of those alternative facts. Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds, tweeted that the role went to Zazie Beetz, best known for playing Vanessa in FX’s “Atlanta.”

Domino, aka Neena Thurman, is another mutant in the world of X-Men, with special telekinetic powers that bring her good luck. She’s athletic, sexy and witty (much like Monae, don’t you think?). The sequel is due in March 2018.

Tra-la-la “La La”

So “La La Land” lost to “Moonlight” for Oscar’s best picture. The musical is getting over it with a singalong. Starting this weekend, the movie will be available with lyrics onscreen at multiple theaters around the country

And Damien Chazelle, who won the directing Oscar for “La La Land,” is moving on with his star Ryan Gosling in “First Man.” It’s about astronaut Neil Armstrong and the race to put a man on the moon. Universal Pictures this week gave it a release date for Oct. 12, 2018, in the heart of the awards season. The script, based on James R. Hansen’s book, is written by “Spotlight” scribe Josh Singer.

Woohoo! Journalism!

Speaking of awesome newspaper movies like “Spotlight,” Deadline.com reports that Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are tackling the Pentagon Papers case. Their film “The Post” will focus on The Washington Post’s 1971 publication of classified Vietnam War documents after a federal judge barred The New York Times from doing so. Hanks would play editor Ben Bradlee, and Streep would play publisher Kay Graham.

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Update: Janelle Monáe not cast in ‘Deadpool 2’ (though she would have been perfect)."