The Hollywood Reporter just confirmed that Fox is currently developing an X-Force movie and, fuck me, it might actually be good. Not a whole lot is known beyond the confirmation, but what little we do know has me more than enthused. From the director and writer Fox has tapped to helm the project - David Goddard, to the Deadpool-centered rerouting the studio seems to be engineering, to the talent involved, this project has all the right things going for it.
I refuse to join in on the decade long masquerade purporting Fox’s X-men franchise as somehow integral to the current spike of success enjoyed by superhero flicks. The first film in the series was an unapologetic mockery of the genre. The second film had that iconic opening sequence kickstart its otherwise slow, meandering plot. X-men: The Last Stand ... blah blah blah “I’m the Juggernaut bitch,” and the remainder of the series fluctuated between abysmal and fine. The exception being the genuinely good films Days of Future Past and Logan, the former, by the way a “do-over” following the continuity cluster fuck incited by X3 and the latter a deconstruction of everything Wolverine and the mediocre franchise that saddled him stood for over the years.
Yeah, I know Deadpool is technically cursed to the same continuity that plagued us with Halle Berry’s Storm, but if Simon Kinberg can’t decide how old Magneto is, or whether or not the series’ linchpin Professor X is dead, then I get to cherrypick his desultory timeline till I’m blue in the balls. In any event, 2015’s Deadpool is not only one of the best thing Fox has shit out in recent years, it’s the kind of send up the industry needs right now. The studio clearly isn’t deaf to the box office receipts scored by the merc with a mouth, as evidenced by the prominent role he’s reported to play in the upcoming X-Force spin off film.
In addition to being a logical follow up to the surprise smash hit, Deadpool 2 might also serve as a setup for Fox’s planned X-Force project, as Josh Brolin’s Cable is already confirmed to make an appearance alongside Reynold’s Deadpool and most likely Domino, who will make her silver screen debut in Deadpool 2 and is an original member of X-Force in the comics.
The film is to be directed by Drew Goddard - the very same Goddard responsible for Netflix’s Daredevil and for penning The Martian, which earned him an Oscar nomination last year. Unfortunately, Simon Kinberg is attached as producer, alongside Ryan Reynolds and Lauren Shuler Donner.
X-Force has been dancing with development hell since 2013 when it was reported that Kick Ass 2 writer and director Jeff Wadlow was in talks to pen a script. At some point a few drafts of the screenplay got written and even garnered praise from X-Force and Deadpool creator himself, Rob Liefeld, calling the first draft “beyond impressive.”
After Bryan Singer announced X-men Apocalypse, X-Force seemed to take a backseat; being slated for release but receiving no talent or plot details for roughly four years. Thankfully, Fox’s gowing reservations regarding the future of Singer's new X-men timeline and the unbridled success of Deadpool has reignited the project, seeing things moving forward pretty quickly.
We will be sure to keep you posted as things continue to develop.
