Leitch was a stunt performer and coordinator for years before directing. Deadpool 2 carries that background openly: extended action staged in long readable takes, comedy timed inside the choreography, and set pieces that resolve through physical logic rather than through cutting.
He doubled for major stars and co-founded a training and choreography company that has supplied the action design for much of contemporary Hollywood. Hong Kong action cinema is the acknowledged model, particularly its insistence on wide shots and visible performers. He was closely involved in a hitman franchise that reset expectations for the form before directing under his own name.
Recurring subjects: professionals who are very good at a violent job, betrayal within an organisation, and stunt work made visible rather than hidden. He shoots fights with a mobile camera that stays wide enough to show the whole body, and he builds sequences around a single location's constraints, such as a stairwell or a moving train.
He is among the figures most responsible for the current standard in Western action cinema, where choreography is shot to be seen rather than implied by editing. His advocacy for stunt performers, including public campaigning for formal recognition of their craft, has shaped an ongoing industry conversation.
For viewers who want action they can actually follow. Suited to anyone tired of shaky handheld fights, and to those interested in how stunt performers think about staging violence.
