While 2018's Deadpool 2 will once again spotlight the Merc with the Mouth and his fourth wall-breaking shenanigans, the sequel is also opening the door to a new corner of the X-Men universe. Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz will costar as Cable and Domino, respectively, both of whom, like Wade Wilson, have been part of the X-Force in the comics. Following Deadpool 2's release, 20th Century Fox has an X-Force spinoff movie lined up, and it's recently made progress moving forward.
Last week, it was announced that The Martian's Drew Goddard will write and direct the X-Force movie, and it was also reported that Deadpool and Cable will be two of the leads. Presumably we can also expect Domino to return, but that still leaves several open spots on the team, so we've looked through who's been part of the X-Force in the comics over the years and picked those who we think would be a good fit in the movie. Let's start off with a familiar face from earlier this year.
X-23
Logan may have served as Hugh Jackman's goodbye to Wolverine, but the movie's breakout star was Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23. Actress Dafne Keen did an excellent job channeling the same kind of rage that Jackman did for over 15 years in his X-Men appearances, and director James Mangold has expressed interest in seeing X-23 in future films. X-Force should be one of those films, not only because X-23 has a history with the team in the comics, but this R-rated environment would be better suited for continuing her adventures rather than a normal X-Men movie. For those pointing out that X-23 lives approximately a decade ahead of the present day X-Men universe, let's not forget that with Cable around, it's easy enough to have him travel through time and pick her up so she can participate in the team's mission.
Forge
Some mutant abilities are subtler than others. In Forge's case, he is intuitively able to build and fix mechanical devices, making him an excellent resource if you're looking to build an arsenal of gadgets and weapons. In the comics, Forge is primarily associated with the main X-Men team and X-Factor, he did spend some time with the X-Force during the Marvel NOW! period. Including Forge in the X-Force movie is a good way to spotlight a character whose abilities aren't directly useful in battle, but are incredibly valued on the sidelines. No doubt Deadpool and Cable would especially be glad to have him around if it means he can give them better guns.
Warpath
James Produstar, a.k.a. Warpath, started off as an adversary to the X-Men in the comics, as he blamed them for the death of his brother John, a.k.a.Thunderbird. Initially joining the villainous Hellions so he could exact revenge, James eventually realized the error of his ways, took the Warpath identity and became one of the original X-Force members, sticking with the team through various iterations. Warpath has already been played by Booboo Stewart in X-Men: Days of Future Past, but the X-Men franchise has never been a stickler for continuity, so including a new version of him in X-Force would be acceptable. After all, Henry Zaga is playing a new version of Sunspot (who also appeared in Days of Future Past) in New Mutants next year.
Siryn
Here's another mutant who's already appeared in the X-Men movies, but warrants being adapted in a different way. Theresa Cassidy, a.k.a. Siryn, previously showed up in X2: X-Men United, where her sonic scream woke up everyone in the X-Mansion and clued them in that intruders were on the premises. While it's unlikely that X-Force could keep the new Siryn's relationship to Banshee intact given that died between X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past, that doesn't mean that giving audiences an X-Force-focused Siryn is off the table. Her superpowered voice would certainly be handy against adversaries, and her flirtatious back-and-forth with Deadpool could provide some amusing moments. Let's also not forget that Siryn's uncle, Black Tom Cassidy, is reportedly Deadpool 2's villain so it's still possible to establish a familial connection in this universe.
Colossus
Although Colossus is best known as a member of the main X-Men team, there was a time in the comics when he was working with the X-Force. Had Deadpool not introduced a more faithful version of the metal-skinned mutant, we probably wouldn't have included him on this list, but since he's established in this corner of the X-Men cinematic universe, adding him to the lineup could be interesting. Unlike most of the other people on this list, this version of Colossus clearly has issues with taking more aggressive action towards evildoers. So to see him struggle through working with a whole team of mutants comfortable with such aggression, as well as trying to use his moral compass to influence them, would be an fascinating twist.
Feral
Even though the X-Force members are more intense than your traditional superheroes, most of them have never become full-fledged villains. Maria Callasantos, a.k.a. Feral, is one of the exceptions. Rescued from the Morlock ruler known as Masque by Cable, Feral agreed to join the X-Force in exchange for protection. But as time passed, it became increasingly clear that her temper and combative personality was problematic. Eventually Feral betrayed her teammates and joined the Mutant Liberation Front terrorist organization. The X-Force movie presents an opportunity to take Feral down a similar path and have her serve as the traitor who complicates the team's mission at the worst possible moment.
Fantomex
Unlike the other characters on this list, Fantomex isn't a mutant. In the comics, it was eventually revealed that he was a techno-organic being created by the Weapon Plus program who was originally supposed to serve as a Super-Sentinel. But Fantomex, who also goes by Charlie-Cluster 7, was able to escape this life, and after establishing connections with the X-Men, he's become one of the more prominent members of the modern day X-Force teams, using his illusion-casting abilities and marksman skills out in the field. Much like how Batman and Superman found Martian Manhunter in captivity in the Justice League animated series, the X-Force movie could introduce Fantomex when the already-established team finds him in a laboratory or base, and because of his ties to the villains, he could aid the mutants and become a permanent member of the X-Force by the end of the story.
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