Why An X-Force Movie With Deadpool Probably Won't Happen
The release of Deadpool in theaters already has lead actor Ryan Reynolds being rather vocal about a sequel in the works. The actor has also said that his "priority" is talking 20th Century Fox into making an X-Force film. But we're a little bit more skeptical about that actually happening. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has thrown all kinds of otherworldly superheroes at us over the years, but we have a feeling the X-Force team might be the first group of "good" guys who might be too much to handle. Let's look at Cable's team(s) of heavy hitters and why these mutants might not be a good choice to put on camera.
Cable is impossible to do well on the big screen
Deadpool himself said during the post-credits scene that X-Force team leader Cable would be making his way to Deadpool 2, but that might be easier said than done. The character is, to put it mildly, a mess: Nathan "Cable" Summers has telekenetic and psychic powers as the son of Cyclops and a woman named Madelyne Pryor, who happens to be a clone of Cyclops' dead girlfriend Jean Grey. The villainous Apocalypse gave Cable a super-virus that made him dedicate his powers to keeping the sickness at bay his whole life. With his powers corked, Cable still became a leader among the mutant rebellion against Apocalypse in a dystopian future. He travels back to modern times (before he was ever born!) to prevent Apocalypse's rise to power. He also goes on to lead X-Force. Now just imagine trying to shoehorn that kind of massive character into a Deadpool or X-Force movie where he probably wouldn't even be the main character. Also: his name is "Cable." That's a tough sell from the get-go.
Too many versions of the team
The biggest question when it comes to the X-Force team would be which version and roster should be used. Should the old team of Cable, Boomer, Cannonball, Domino/Copycat, Feral, Warpath, and Shatterstar be used? Or how about Cyclops' Messiah Complex hit squad of Caliban, Hepzibah, Warpath, X-23, Wolverine, and Wolfsbane? The comics' roster as of this writing consists of Cable, Domino, Dr. Nemesis, Hope Summers, Marrow, Psylocke, and ForgetMeNot, and that's bound to change in the future. You also have the Uncanny X-Force team that consists of Deadpool, E.V.A., Fantomex, Psylocke, Wolverine, and Archangel. If you're using characters who have previously appeared in previous X-Men movies, it's a bit tough to just add them to the list and assume people will forget what they were in a previous film (like Deadpool's 2016 version vs. the one from the first Wolverine movie). Like the Avengers and X-Men's various versions, there have been all kinds of groups with superpowers who have assembled under the X-Force banner. This makes it a bit tough to choose a definitive group. The movie could just as easily make its own new roster, but all of these characters have backstories and tend to be part of grander schemes that would be too huge to ignore. We've still got our fingers crossed for Domino, though.
Hollywood can't even get X-Men right, so good luck with X-Force
Even with some talented directors and writers behind the scenes, Hollywood has fumbled the X-Men franchise far too many times for us not to be skeptical of an X-Force film. While X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were already two Juggernaut-sized turd-fests, it's how the individual mutant characters have been handled that still has us rolling our eyes. Think of how many famous mutants have been mishandled on camera. You've got Sabretooth acting like Wolverine's big brother (he's supposed to be one of his greatest adversaries who taunts the often amnesic Wolverine about their pasts). Just because she's being played by Jennifer Lawrence, you have Mystique leading Xavier's strike team in X-Men: Wolverine. Mind you, Mystique was on Apocalypse's side in the original story and is for the most part a bad lady. Let's not forget how the super strong and flying Rogue was diminished into a feeble teen who was scared of her powers, only to be replaced by Kitty Pryde in later sequels. Just imagine how wrecked Fantomex, Domino, and the rest of the gang would be.
Most of its roster is unknown by moviegoers
Just about all the characters most associated with X-Force are, for the most part, unknown by your average Marvel movie fan. Sure, there is a percentage of comic book aficionados who can't wait to see Feral or Fantomex on the silver screen, but unless they have a cool intro scene in the X-Force movie, the masses won't care. This adds a ton of freedom in how filmmakers could handle an X-Force film, but it would be likely that Deadpool or Wolverine would be the two most well-known names in the film, if they even show up. Marvel was able to make Guardians of the Galaxy work, but this is 20th Century Fox's side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where the track record is a whole lot darker. Nevertheless, if a giant tree with a toddler's vocabulary and a gun-brandishing raccoon can be accepted by the masses as one of the best superhero movies of all time, maybe there's still potential for the X-Force.
It would probably have to be Rated R
When looking at the more recent incarnations of the X-Force team, they're pretty much the hitmen of the X-Men universe who aren't afraid to get bloody. In 2008, Cyclops reactivated the previously defunct X-Force as a new black ops team that specializes in wetwork (aka murder) in order to uphold safety for mutantkind. These snarling hombres aren't afraid to get their hands, swords, knives, guns, and claws bloody for the sake of their genetic brethren. That kind of premise just screams an R rating, as the X-Force comics from 2008-onward had all kinds of bloodbaths going on, especially since some of its core members have the awesome power of healing from fatal injuries. When you've got multiple heroes causing chaos, who are able to shrug off gunfire and stabbings like raindrops, you can except some R-rated violence. And if Deadpool's journey to the multiplex is any proof, R-rated superhero movies are a tough sell in Hollywood, since they alienate a large portion of comic book movies' usual target: children.
Deadpool can't lead it, because he's crazy
Considering the buzz around 2016's Deadpool solo adventure, it's not hard to imagine that the studio bigwigs would want Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool at the helm of an X-Force movie, since the character's occasionally part of the team and all. Wolverine is too, but it looks like Hugh Jackman's days as the character are winding down. Putting Deadpool in charge of X-Force would be a bad idea, especially when you consider how unpredictable his character is. X-Force is supposed to be an elite team, and having Wade Wilson running around asking about taco time and video games would be a little bit too chaotic. Sure, Deadpool holds his own leading Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead in his solo film, but those are just two relatively tame characters. Good luck trying to do that with Psylocke, X-23, and Warpath.
An X-Force movie opens the door to all kinds of secondary teams
If 20th Century Fox greenlit an X-Force movie, what's to stop them from making movies of all the other secondary teams of the X-Men's world? We're talking X-Statix, X-Factor, X-Corp, New Mutants, Generation X, X-Terminators, Alpha Flight, and Starjammers. Where do we draw the line as to how far mutant movies reach into the extended lore? Fox can't even churn out a good Fantastic Four movie, let alone something as obscure as the the X-Men's tertiary characters, like the Morlocks. Considering how the ending of X-Men: Days of Future Past kind of retconned the events of the more undesirable X-Men movies, perhaps they should start building a core set of solid Xavier team stories before branching out to all the second string teams waiting to don their tights and save the day. Do we really need an Excalibur film when Nightcrawler is still an afterthought at the movies?