With Deadpool breaking all kinds of records at the box office, it’s a pretty good bet that an X-Force movie—starring Deadpool in a central role of course—is close to being greenlit by Fox. Ryan Reynolds has already publicly stated than an X-Force movie is a priority for him. And with Deadpool 2 already confirmed to feature time-hopping soldier Cable, it’s also a safe bet that X-Force will involve Cable in a central role. So that’s two characters down. But what about the rest of the team? Which mutant characters are set to make up the group’s big screen line-up?
Believe it or not, the first issue of X-Force is the second biggest selling comic book of all time, right behind X-Men #1. Back in 1991, it sold a staggering five million copies. And yet, the pop culture imprint of a comic book that sold that many copies isn’t very big, especially when you compare it to the number one seller of all time, X-Men #1. Every single character in X-Men #1 has become iconic, and gone on to movie stardom. Several of the heroes in that first X-Force comic make even the biggest comic fan say, “…who?”
The first issue line-up of X-Force #1 was Cable, Domino, Cannonball, Boom-Boom, Feral, and Shatterstar. Twenty-five years later, only Cable has really become a Marvel Comics mainstay, with Domino and Cannonball being somewhat better known. Feral, a catlike mutant, has totally disappeared into obscurity, and Shatterstar got so totally reinvented in Peter David’s X-Factor and other comics as to almost become another character entirely. Boom-Boom is seen as lamer than Jubilee.
Despite several attempts, X-Force has never really become its own super team with its own identity, it’s ultimately become more of a “home for angrier X-Men.” The most popular recent comic book versions of the team have been populated with characters who were already beloved and well known as members of the regular X-Men.
“But what about villains?” you ask. Well, to me, an X-Force villain is already being set up by this year’s X-Men: Apocalypse. We know that movie shows the X-Men as we know them being formed in 1983 to defeat the ancient mutant En Sabah Nur, a.k.a. Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac). It’s fair to say that the X-Men will somehow beat Apocalypse, but “beat” doesn’t mean “kill.” Apocalypse is immortal after all. And in the comics, Cable comes from a dystopic future ruled by the ancient Egyptian mutant. He comes back in time to the present day to prevent him from rising again, and creates X-Force to stop him. That sounds like your X-Force movie premise right there.
So when it comes to the X-Force movie line-up, who will Fox use, besides the obvious Deadpool and Cable? If they’re smart, they’ll pull a little bit from every incarnation. Arguably the team’s two most popular eras were the original Rob Liefeld early ’90s period (in terms of sales) and the more recent, fan-favorite Uncanny X-Force era, featuring the X-Men’s secret “black ops” team. Wolverine was front and center at that time, but if Hugh Jackman is to be believed, his next outing as Wolverine is his last time, so scratch him off the list.
Based on all of those factors, here’s who I’m guessing Fox will use as to round out the team when it comes time to start shooting the eventual X-Force film.
#1. Psylocke
From all early signs, X-Men: Apocalypse’s version of Psylocke, as played by actress Olivia Munn, is going to be the kickass version of the character we’ve been waiting years to see on the big screen. I mean, that one scene from the trailer where she cuts the car in half with her sword? That clip alone has sold most fans on Olivia Munn’s portrayal.
Now, assuming the psychic ninja warrior breaks free of Apocalypse’s influence and joins the good guys at some point during the movie and doesn’t die—a safe assumtion—she might be the perfect weapon to use against En Sabah Nur should he ever attempt to rise again. As to why Psylocke looks the same in X-Force as the early ’80s set X-Men: Apocalypse, just chalk it up slow aging to due to Apocalypse’s tampering with her powers. (We’ll be using that same excuse later on in this list.)
#2. Domino
One of the few characters from the first issue’s original X-Force line-up who is still prominent, and occasionally still part of the team in the comics. More often than not, she’s Cable’s right hand lady, and even his occassional lover as well. With her albino skin and black patch around her eye, she has a great and iconic look (along with Deadpool, one of Rob Liefeld’s more memorable designs) All these years later, and I’m still not 100% sure what her powers are. Something to do with mutant luck abilities or something? In any case, she seems a shoe-in for an X-Force movie.
#3. Archangel
Like Psylocke,Warren Worthington III’s a character from the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse who we know is turned inside out by that film’s titular bad guy, and given deadly razor sharp metal wings. He is transformed from the feather-winged “Angel” into the Archangel that fans love. If, like in the comics, he turns on Apocalypse and becomes an X-Man in the upcoming movie, he might be the perfect weapon to use against the ancient tyrant in Cable’s eventual paramilitary unit. Also, like Psylocke, he was a member of X-Force in the comics during one of its best runs as Uncanny X-Force.
#4. Colossus
Peter Rasputin is one of the core X-Men, along with character like Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine. That said, we’ve yet to see him land his moment in the sun in a live-action movie…beyond just a cameo that is—he had to play second banana to Deadpool in his movie. Still, the Deadpool version of Colossus was the most comic book-accurate version seen so far on screen, and he played a great “straight man” to Deadpool’s jokester character. He’s also another X-Men who has been a member of X-Force in the comics before as well, in one of the title’s more recent runs.
#5. Cannonball
Sam Guthrie, the good ol’ boy mutant from Kentucky who goes by “Cannonball,” was one of the founding members of the junior X-Men team The New Mutants. He was also the only member to transition when the team came under the tutelage of Cable and became X-Force. He’s stuck around for various incarnations of the group, and his less “in your face” personality is a nice contrast to the various badasses and killers that will surely populate the team. Also, he turns into a giant energy projectile that can throw himself at bad guys, and that’s pretty darn cool.
So there you have it, folks. Are there any X-Force comics characters you think need to be in an eventual X-Force movie? X-Men: Days of Future Past included former X-Forcers, like Warpath and Sunspot—should they be transferred over? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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IMAGES: Marvel Comics / 20th Century Fox
