Director Jeff Wadlow talks about the details of the X-force movie and the reasons why it wasn’t made.
In the vast universe of superheroes, each character carries an infinite number of stories with them, an untold narrative on the big screen. This is the story of a film project that promises to redefine the way we look at mutants beyond the classroom at Charles Xavier’s school for gifted youth. Jeff Wadlow, the director of “Kick-Ass 2” in 2013, immerses us in the story of “X-Force” left in the pipeline by Fox, he plans to re-introduce Deadpool in a light that has never been seen before.
Alternative view
In an interview with Alex Zahn on the “Journey to the Movies” podcast, Jeff Wadlow revealed his original ambitions for this unpublished work. In “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” Wadlow was going to verbally redeem the mercenary in a misrepresentation, presenting him in a way that really resonated with comic fans. “I was lucky enough to write the script for ‘X-Force’ before the first Deadpool movie was made. As a comic book fan, I knew the previous picture was disgusting. I wanted to do it right,” Wadlow said.
Vadlo imagines the difference between the elitist Xavier school and the real world, creating a harsh reality. “My take on the movie ‘X-Men’ is if mutants go to private school, what about mutants going to public school?’ It was. Inspired by the classic “X-Men” series of the 90s, it introduces Cable as a dark mentor and young mutants, formerly known as the “New Mutants”, who embark on an adventure of survival and discovery.
On this journey, a relentless adversary pursues our heroes, including Deadpool in a scenario reminiscent of his earlier presence in the comics. “I wanted this antagonist to always be chasing them … the mercenary Deadpool,” Vadlow explained, wanting to recreate the character’s true roots.
Road to stardom
In this untold tale, Deadpool emerges as the most fascinating character in the middle of the “what if” puzzle. From his controversial appearance in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” the widely misinterpreted “mercenary with a mouth,” to his triumphant revival on the big screen in 2016, Deadpool has undergone an unprecedented cinematic transformation. This style, in addition to redefining the image among fans, set a new standard for the treatment of comic book characters in cinema, a perfect mix of action, irreverent humor and constantly breaking the fourth wall.
Wadlow’s proposal for the super team would have given the characters more dimension, initially setting a darker, more antagonistic tone to their comic book origins. Although we haven’t seen this version yet, Wade’s evolution in cinema tells us a constant search to balance fidelity and renewal, a challenge that continues with each new adaptation of the universe’s characters.
The Fate of X-Force by Drew Goddard
Although Wadlow’s vision for the project fell through, Ryan Reynolds would find redemption in Deadpool with the blockbuster success of the film in 2016 and Josh Brolin playing Cable in 2018. These films lay the groundwork for a separate project from the super team, The Cabin in the Woods, directed by Drew Goddard. However, following the sale of Fox in 2019 and the acquisition of the X-Men film license by Disney, the X-Force project was discontinued, in favor of “Deadpool & Wolverine” in the MCU, directed by Shan Levy, who promised to win the film in theaters on July 26.
In retrospect, the echoes of Wadlow’s “X-Force” as a “what could have been,” an alternate universe where mutants tread paths less traveled, are striking. Although this project remains in the shadows, its spirit lives on in fans who dream of endless possibilities. The history of cinema is full of unrealized projects, but in the case of this wasted film, which marks an unforgettable chapter in the X-Men saga, it makes us think about the possible adventures.