Warning: SPOILERS for Deadpool 2 are ahead!
While Wade Wilson was still the star of the show in Deadpool 2, the sequel introduced an X-Men character that comic book fans have been waiting a long time to see in a cinematic setting: Cable. Played by Josh Brolin, Cable was initially the movie's main antagonist, but by the end of the movie, he was working with the other protagonists, and now he has a bright future ahead of him. Brolin signed a four-picture deal for the Cable role, and it sounds like the next time we'll see him is in X-Force.
Since more Cable in the X-Men film franchise is guaranteed, this allows for even more of his history from the comics to be explored. Obviously it's impossible to cover the breadth of everything he's done on the printed page over nearly three decades, but here are some Cable-related developments and plot points we want to see adapted at some point.
His Connection To Cyclops
Even by comic book standards, Cable has one of the most convoluted backstories ever. To summarize as succinctly as possible, Cable was born Nathan Summers, his father being Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops, and Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey. His birth was arranged by longtime X-Men foe Mister Sinister for his nefarious schemes, and soon after being born, he was kidnapped by Apocalypse (more on that later) and eventually taken to the future. Superhero movies often have to take creative liberties, and in Cable's case, there's no way his origins could be fully adapted for the big screen, let alone in a movie where he's not the primary character. That being said, it would be nice if Josh Brolin's Cable had some kind of connection to Cyclops. Maybe Cyclops and Jean Grey had a baby together, and like his comic book counterpart, the infant Nathan was sent to the future. Or maybe Cable is the grandson or great-grandson of Cyclops. Either way, establish a direct or indirect relationship between the two mutants.
Learning How His Future Became Dystopic
Cable can't be Cable is he isn't raised in a post-apocalyptic future. It's like Josh Brolin's version of the character said in that Deadpool 2 preview, he was raised in war. It would take too long to detail why the future the comic book Cable grew up in was so bleak and desolate, but judging by what little we saw in Deadpool 2, things aren't so great in the period that Brolin's version of the character originally came from, and not just because his wife and daughter were killed by the adult Russell Collins, a.k.a. Firefist. As powerful as he grew up to be, Russell couldn't have been responsible for all the devastation in Cable's era, and even though Cable's sticking around in the present to ensure that things are better for his family, hopefully X-Force or one of the follow-ups will provide some details on what events led to such the depressing future that he grew up in.
Learning How He Gained The Techno-Organic Virus
In the comics, Nathan Summers was born with telekinetic and telepathic abilities, but his primary defining feature is the cybernetic enhancements he has due to being infected by the techno-organic virus as a baby. That's the reason he was sent thousands of years into the future in the comics; it was believed he could be cured of the virus, and while things didn't go according to plan, Nathan learned to use his natural abilities to keep the virus at bay. Unfortunately for him, even as an adult, there was always the danger of his body succumbing to the virus, turning him into a fully cybernetic being. In any case, Deadpool 2 glossed over the fact that Cable has a metal arm and bionic eye, but future movies should not only explain how he was afflicted with the techno-organic virus in this continuity, but also delve into how he has to fight every day to prevent it from taking him over.
His Conflict With Stryfe
When Nathan Summers was taken to the future, he was cloned so that if the virus killed him, another Nathan could live on. But the original Nathan survived, and this clone was taken by Apocalypse and raised him as his own, calling him Stryfe and intending for him to someday become his new host body (although Apocalypse later learned that because Stryfe was a clone, he couldn't hold his essence). As an adult, Stryfe became an anarchist and clashed with Cable on numerous occasions, and eventually he traveled back to the present day and formed the Mutant Liberation Terrorist Front terrorist group, which is the reason why Cable came to the present. Stryfe's background would almost certainly need to be altered so it's not nearly as complicated as it is on the printed page, but keeping him as a foe for Cable would be a smart move, especially since we could see what an adult Nathan looks like without the techno-organic virus in his system.
Seeing Him Properly Teaming Up With Deadpool
Most of Deadpool 2 had Cable in conflict with the eponymous protagonist, as Wade Wilson was the primary individual standing in the way of the time traveling mutant killing Russell Collins. Eventually Cable and Deadpool buried the hatchet so they could prevent Russell from making his first kill, and giving credit where it's due, Cable went back in time to prevent Deadpool's death, thus stranding himself in the present. Still, them joining forces towards the end of the sequel didn't feel like a proper team-up akin to what they've had in the comics, specifically in the Cable and Deadpool series that ran for 50 issues. If X-Force writer and director Drew Goddard is wise, he'll pair these two together during the movie for a new mission. Deadpool will still be wisecracking and Cable will be annoyed at his partner's antics, but at least it will feel more similar to the dynamic they have in the comics, and this time, Deadpool (hopefully) doesn't have to worry about Cable snuffing him out while they're on the job. However, there is an exception to this that could be adapted well for the silver screen, which brings us to our last section.
Providence
Cable's been part of some crazy stories over the years, but among the most bonkers is the Providence arc in the Cable and Deadpool series. Cable learned how to suppress the techno-organic virus and gain control over his telekinetic and telepathic abilities, making him incredibly powerful. Using parts from his old space station, Cable constructed the floating island known as Providence, which was meant to be a utopian society. But as he became more powerful, Cable realized the only way to unify humanity was to unite them against a singular threat: him. Numerous superheroes, including Silver Surfer, clashed with the enhanced Cable, and Deadpool was eventually sent to assassinate him. In one of Cable's final theatrical appearances, if not the final one, it might be interesting to see Deadpool and Cable, who by now have become close allies, forced to be on opposite sides again, and this time it's Deadpool who's trying to kill the unhinged Cable to protect the future.
