There have been rumblings for quite some time that Fox had interest in making an X-Force movie. And why wouldn't they? Their X-Men franchise has raked in countless millions, and shows no signs of slowing down. The Wolverine is almost here (the SECOND solo movie for the character, and the sixth X-Men related movie overall) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (bringing the grand total of Fox's X-Men films to seven) will arrive in 2014.
Recently the fansite X-Men Films reported that Fox registered the domain, x-forcemovie.com (don't bother clicking, as there's nothing there), which is, at the very least, a sign that there's some interest there. When one considers the time-traveling themes involved in Days of Future Past, the appearance of a character like Cable (the leader of X-Force) suddenly makes perfect sense. Could Days of Future Past actually serve as the launching pad for another iteration of the X-Men franchise?
The X-Men franchise is beautifully adaptable in this respect. While some characters will be more difficult to recast than others (it's gonna be tough filling Patrick Stewart's chair or Hugh Jackman's boots), one of the primary appeals of the concept is the limitless array of mutant superheroes and villains that the comics have put forth in the last fifty years. Rather than reboot or do a dramatic recasting between movies, all the franchise needs to do is take a hard left into any one of the countless lesser-known X-teams, and carry on.
While Fox's registration of the X-Force domain may simply be a matter of covering their bases, there are other indications that the team is destined for the big screen. X-Forceco-creator (and renowned internet oversharer) Rob Liefeld addressed the X-Forcemovie rumors on his Twitter feed, indicating that he was not only aware of the rumors, but that there is something to them!
And by informed, I mean told that an X-Force film was in the planning stages. Much different than shooting a film.
— robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) July 12, 2013
But that wasn't all he let slip!
When they cast an X-Force film then its reason to celebrate. They have a Magneto film in 'development' as well. Proceed with caution.
— robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) July 12, 2013
A Magneto film? Well, it wouldn't be the first time this was attempted. David Goyer (Man of Steel, Batman Begins, etc) had written an X-Men Origins: Magneto screenplay that has yet to see the light of day. Is it possible that this is what Liefeld is referring to? Is there a chance we'll get to see Michael Fassbender in a Magneto solo film at some point in the reasonably near future?
And then, of course, there is the lingering question about how all of this could affect the Deadpoolmovie, to which Ryan Reynolds is still attached. Deadpool was introduced in the early stages of the comic book X-Force's formation, so it seems appropriate that he'd be part of any cinematic plans for the team. Perhaps Fox finds Deadpool more appealing as one part of a larger ensemble than as a solo character?
Any one of these films brings with it the possibility of introducing another dozen or so of Marvel's mutant characters, which, in turn, open the door for even more potential films. Reynolds recently had some words about the Deadpoolmovie, indicating that there is still very much a chance that we'll get to see him in the red and black tights. Deadpool remains immensely popular, and it's likely that we'll see him in live-action again, one way or the other, at some point.
If Fox successfully gets all of these X-films into production, they're cinematic superhero universe could easily be the equal of everything Marvel Studios has planned for the next few years. And while it's been over twenty years since X-Force #1 became one of the highest-selling comics of all time, the name (as well as the appeal of a character like Cable) still manages to spark the interest of fans.
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I love how the X-Men Film Franchise is just twisted and turned inside-out by itself. Just like the Comics.