Josh Brolin is set to have a big 2017, thanks in large part to his co-starring role alongside Ryan Reynolds in “Deadpool 2,” the hotly anticipated sequel to last year’s R-rated superhero smash. In the follow-up, Brolin will be playing the grizzled warrior Cable, and as a new photo of the actor indicates, he’s hard at work getting himself — and his body — ready for the larger-than-life part.

In a photo posted to Instagram, Brolin reveals the bulging biceps* he’s developing to play the part of Cable, a futuristic* badass* who, in the comic books, was born in our timeline (he’s actually the son of “X-Men” members Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor) and then sent to the future where he grew up to be a fearsome* warrior. Then he traveled back to our present, where he becomes the odd-couple companion of Deadpool’s.

According to Brolin, his preparation so far involves not only weight-lifting, but a diet light on sugar and carbs and heavy on anger: “The machine is being built. I’m pissed off,” the 49-year old Brolin writes.

Earlier this year, Brolin sent out pictures of his head coated in some sort of blue gunk and plaster*, presumably in order to make casts to be used for the film.

The hashtag messages on the first two of these Brolin Instagram posts makes clear that the smack-talking between the “Deadpool 2” headliners — which began with Reynolds back in February — isn’t apt to slow down as the film ramps up production. That means we should expect plenty more social media-filtered wisecracking before we get “Deadpool 2,” which is slated to debut in theaters on June 1, 2018.

Before that, Brolin will be making his proper, full-fledged debut in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” next May, when he faces off against “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” as big purple baddie Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” — giving him a one-two 2017 theatrical punch unrivaled* in modern superhero cinema history. (SD-Agencies)