It’s getting to the point where the behind the scenes drama in the X-Universe franchise is more interesting than the films themselves. No, really.
This week, we heard from an apparently trusted insider that Fox is on the verge of writing off both The New Mutants and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Each project has experienced delays and nightmarish productions and reshoots, with nobody particularly happy with what’s been produced. Above all that is the increasing likelihood of the Disney/Fox deal going through now that shareholders have approved it. So, with those films teetering on the edge of oblivion, the big question now is, what’s going to happen to X-Force?
Despite not having fully entered production yet, it thankfully seems to stand a better chance than the rest in actually making it to cinemas. First and foremost, this is essentially Deadpool 3 (word is the film’s title will literally be Deadpool 3: X-Force), and the previous two entries in the trilogy have broken all kinds of box office records for R-rated movies and are generally beloved by audiences.
Plus, it could be as simple as Disney not wanting to alienate the existing fanbase by denying them the finale in the Deadpool trilogy. Then there’s the fact that of all the Fox characters, the Merc would be a tricky fit for the existing MCU, and that it’s difficult to imagine a version of him played by anyone other than Ryan Reynolds.
So, in a twist nobody that would’ve expected, the existing X-Universe that began way back in 2000’s X-Men may finally terminate in X-Force, which could be the last hurrah of the concepts, casting and history we’ve been enjoying (aside from the not so good entries) for the last two decades. I should add that all this information comes from a shady source on a message board, so it could be a big bunch of baloney. But honestly, it pretty much confirms everything I’d expected to hear from Fox given that they’re about to be bought by Disney.
Whatever happens, it’s going to be a rocky few years for the IP as we wrap up the Singerverse and the mutants are reborn in shiny new form for the MCU.