In light of the recent rumor regarding certain X-Force members appearing in the much-anticipated Deadpool 2, we figured it would be a good time to speculate about who will round out the team in the upcoming X-Force film. Writer Rhett Reese has since refuted the rumor – that the Deadpool sequel will feature cameos from Sunspot, Shatterstar and Feral. It would make little sense to introduce all those characters into Deadpool 2, especially since Sunspot is already committed to appear in the upcoming New Mutants film.
There have been many iterations of X-Force since the team’s inception in 1991. That being said, it’s impossible to know which version of the team will be making the jump from page to screen. If past X-Men films have proven anything, it’s that they don’t have to remain completely faithful to the source material in order to be successful. Anyone remember the uproar that occurred over the lineup from the 2000 film?
What we can probably assume is that Sunspot, Cannonball, Wolfsbane and Dani Moonstar will not be appearing, as they will be a part of New Mutants. With that in mind, let’s try to figure out which heroes X-Force will be comprised of. There have been many teams and timelines, but realistically, the film could mix and match just about any of them, with the exception of X-23 or Wolverine. Let’s have a little fun and try to guess 15 Members of X-Force That Could Appear in the Movie.
15. Caliban
This albino mutant made his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #148 in 1981. Like many other mutants who couldn’t fit into the surface world, he wound up living in the Morlocks’ underground community. However, this did little to assuage his loneliness, which has long been an undercurrent of the character’s story.
Despite a shaky start, Caliban became a longtime ally of the X-Men, having been an official member of not only X-Factor, but X-Force as well. He has the ability to sense other mutants within a 25-mile radius, sometimes even further. When Caliban is threatened, his other powers manifest, granting him superhuman strength as well as the ability to absorb and amplify fear.
Caliban would be a sensible character for the X-Force movie to utilize. Aside from the fact that he has been in more than one incarnation of the team, audiences are already familiar with him, as he has appeared in both X Men: Apocalypse and Logan, portrayed by Tómas Lemarquis and Stephen Merchant, respectively.
14. Fantomex
Charlie-Cluster 7, aka Jean-Phillipe, aka Weapon XIII, aka Fantomex, made his comic debut in New X-Men #128 in 2002. He was born of the Weapon Plus Program's experiments in creating technological-human hybrids. This is the same organization responsible for weaponizing Wolverine. From the moment that he was introduced, Fantomex was an entertaining and enigmatic character.
The problem was that after Morrison’s run on New X-Men, no one knew quite what to do with him, at least not until Rick Remender and Jerome Opena’s Uncanny X-Force. The team also included Archangel, Psylocke, Wolverine and Deadpool, and along with Morrison’s run on New X-Men, is easily one of the best X books of the last twenty years.
Although Fantomex was in a much later iteration of X-Force, so was Deadpool. Sure, the Merc with a Mouth was no stranger to the team, but it was Uncanny X-Force that counted him a member. Also, Fantomex has a background that wouldn’t be too foreign to audiences, albeit with some exciting twists.
13. Boom Boom
We already know that Cable, played by Josh Brolin and Domino, played by Zazie Beetz, will be joining Deadpool on the team, but what about the other original members? Tabitha Smith would make for a fun inclusion that would further pay homage to the team’s roots. You may have guessed from her superhero name that Tabitha can blow stuff up. More specifically, she creates balls of plasma, which she has appropriately nicknamed, “time bombs.” Not only can Boom Boom make bombs, but she can also reabsorb the energy of those that have yet to be detonated.
Tabitha initially appeared in 1985 in Secret Wars II #5. Like Caliban, after some confusion she became a member of both X-Factor and X-Force. Aside from that, Warren Ellis later repurposed her in Nextwave. Although a lesser-known character, Boom Boom was in X-Force from the beginning, so she could make an appearance.
However, if the source material is followed – which rarely happens in X-Men films – she could appear in New Mutants instead.
12. Warpath
X-Force has often been comprised of characters with troubled pasts – everyone on this list thus far – and James Proudstar is no exception. He mistakenly blamed the X-Men for the death of his brother, Thunderbird, and initially chose to join Hellions to fight against them. First appearing in New Mutants #16 in 1984, James didn’t take too long to realize the error of his ways. Taking the name Warpath, he joined up with New Mutants, soon to become X-Force. Like Boom Boom, Warpath was with the team from X-Force’s first issue.
Although Warpath was brought to life for a small, but notable role in X-Men: Days of Future Past, it would be awesome to see him play a more prominent role in the X-Men films. Born on an Apache reservation in Arizona, Warpath stands over seven feet tall. His power levels and abilities have fluctuated over the years, but he has always had both superhuman strength and speed. Warpath has a long history with X-Force, but due to his origins as a New Mutants villain, he could appear in that film instead.
11. Archangel
Appearing in the very first issue of The X-Men in 1963, Warren Worthington III has much closer ties to them than to X-Force. However, he has been a key member of several incarnations of both teams, so it’s possible that he could make an appearance in the film.
Few characters have been mistreated quite as much by the X-Men films as Angel. After the character was cut from the first two movies, fans finally got to see him in a performance that no one wants to remember from the third – a movie that no one wants to remember. Part of the issue could be with Warren himself, as he has always been one of the most difficult X-Men to make interesting. But Archangel has always been a fascinating character and X-Men: Apocalypse managed to botch that version of him as well!
It is unlikely that Angel will appear in X-Force, if for no other reason than his evolution into Archangel would take up too much screen time. You never know though, perhaps Fox would like the opportunity to finally do the character justice.
10. Negasonic Teenage Warhead
While she was never a member of X-Force in the comics, Ellie Phimister bears little resemblance to the character, played by Brianna Hildebrand, who appeared in Deadpool. This probably means that all bets are off on Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s live-action journey. She may have never been on the team, but she has already been introduced to audiences in Deadpool and is slated to return in its sequel.
Created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, the character first appeared in New X-Men #115 in 2001. Her original abilities were telepathic and precognitive in nature, but we never really had the chance to get to know her, on account of her somewhat immediate death – she has since returned more than once.
In Deadpool, Ellie’s powers in the film were similar to Boom Boom’s, so why not just use her in the upcoming X-Force film instead? The version of Ellie appearing in Deadpool has been widely accepted by fans and while it is unknown how much of a role she will be playing in Deadpool 2, it stands to reason that she could round out the team.
9. Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy would be a particularly cool character to bring into X-Force. Audiences were introduced to her dad, Sean, aka Banshee, in X-Men: First Class. Siryn, who first appeared in 1981 in Spider-Woman #37, has a power set very similar to her father. Her abilities are sonic acoustic and her screams can shatter solid objects, create a lance or a shield, and even allow her to fly. She can also project silence and influence people with her voice.
Like most of the characters on this list, Theresa’s past was a bit colorful. Black Tom Cassidy, her father’s cousin, kidnaped her as a child and raised her into a life of crime. Luckily, Theresa didn’t have the necessary disposition to be a criminal and eventually found her way back to her father.
Siryn has a long history with both X-Force and X-Factor. After a long tenure with the former, Siryn even became the team leader in Cable’s absence. She would be a worthy addition to the X-Force film.
8. Colossus
Much like Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Colossus is a logical choice for X-Force, due to his appearance in Deadpool and his upcoming role in the sequel. While Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin is a well-known X-Man, appearing first in X-Men #122 in 1979, he also has a history with X-Force. Colossus joined the team in the ongoing Cable and X-Force title in 2013. That iteration also included Domino, Forge, Doctor Nemesis, and Hope Summers.
By now, pretty much everyone knows that Colossus’s mutant ability is to basically convert his body to organic steel at will. He’s also ridiculously strong. Colossus is a well-known, well-loved character and fans were overjoyed to see him more accurately portrayed in Deadpool. Introducing new characters in a film is time consuming, so adding Colossus to X-Force might be the smart play here.
7. Bedlam
Bedlam, who made his first appearance in X-Force #82 in 1998, is probably the deepest cut on this list, so chances are slimmer that he'll show up in the film. However, the X-Men movies have been known to repurpose lesser-known characters and he was on the team for a while, so he could play a part.
Jesse Aaronson was orphaned at a young age. His powers manifested when he was a teenager, granting him the ability to create and project electromagnetic fields. He was rescued from a mental institution by the Mutant Underground and trained to become a field agent.
Jesse later struck up a deal with Domino to help him find his brother, Christopher. He briefly sided with his supervillain sibling, but once he learned the truth about his parents’ death – which was caused by Christopher – Jesse joined X-Force. Interestingly, Bedlam has an alternate reality counterpart who appeared years before him during the “Age of Apocalypse” crossover. It's doubtful that he'll be chosen for the team roster, but only time will tell.
6. Hepzibah
Her real name is impossible to pronounce, so this Mephitisoid goes by the alias Hepzibah. She made her first appearance in 1977 in X-Men #107. Hepzibah was born on the planet Tryl'sart, but wound up imprisoned by Shi'ar Emperor D'Ken. She teamed up with Corsair, Raza, Longknife, and Ch'od in order to escape. The group later became known as the Starjammers.
The Starjammers assisted the X-Men many times and after Hepzibah wound up stranded on Earth, she officially joined them. When Wolverine later reformed X-Force, he called on Hepzibah. Her alien physiology grants her superhuman speed, strength and senses. She also has the ability to emit pheromones that can be both mind and mood altering.
Although Hepzibah wasn’t a member of X-Force for very long, she would be a cool addition to the team. However, bringing her in would open up a rather large can of space worms that the film likely wouldn’t have time to address.
5. Psylocke
One of the most sadly underused characters in a film full of them, Betsy Braddock made her comic debut in Captain Britain #8 in 1976. While many of her fellow mutants have convoluted histories, Psylocke stands out as having one of the most complex comic book paths, which has included a body swap, multiple identities, several career changes and being resurrected from the dead more than once. The initial reception to the character may have been tepid, but she has become a fan favorite since her redesign in the late ‘80s.
Although Psylocke has much more history with the X-Men, in recent years, she has been in several incarnations of X-Force, even leading the team at one point. Psylocke is one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe, with near unrivaled telepathic and telekinetic abilities, especially since Jean Grey unlocked her hidden potential. Much like Angel, Psylocke has been cheated by her live-screen adaptations and an X-Force movie could right those wrongs.
4. Cypher
This is another character who is more likely to make an appearance in New Mutants than X-Force, but he has history with both. The teams have shared a lot of characters, because it was members of New Mutants who formed X-Force in the first place, at Cable’s behest.
Douglas Aaron Ramsey first showed up in 1984 in New Mutants #13. He has the ability to translate any language, regardless of origin. Doug may not have had much in the way of combat skills, but since his resurrection – he was in an X book, so of course, he’s died – he is now able to interpret his opponent’s movements as language. This makes him uniquely suited for combat. Although Cypher likely won’t make an appearance, as he was only with X-Force for a brief period, his skill set would make him an interesting include.
3. Feral
Maria Callasantos first appeared in New Mutants #99 in 1991 and her past was also troubled, to say the least. Feral was a bestial mutant, who struggled to overcome her murderous tendencies. Although it remains unclear whether or not she murdered her siblings, she did kill both her mother and her mother’s boyfriend – they had it coming though.
While Feral’s propensity for violence would’ve made her ill suited for a team environment, she fit in fine with X-Force. She was with the team from X-Force #1, so her inclusion in the movie isn’t much of a stretch. Feral would, no doubt, be a fun choice for the film, due to her volatile personality. Aside from that, she might help to fill the Wolverine-shaped hole in our hearts.
2. Rictor
Although more a member of X-Factor than X-Force, Julio Esteban Richter could make an appearance in the film. Rictor’s comic debut was in 1987 in X-Factor #17 and his seismic powers are capable of leveling city blocks.
When Rictor – like most mutants – tragically lost his powers following the events of House of M, he also lost his purpose for a while, even contemplating suicide. Jamie Madrox was able to pull him back from a very literal ledge and Rictor remained a part of X-Factor Investigations, despite his depowered status. Luckily, the Scarlet Witch was eventually able to reverse her spell, restoring Rictor to his former self.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a character in Logan who appeared to be Rictor. That film takes place in the future, so it’s possible that he might not make the cut. However, these are X-Men films we’re talking about, so the character could be recast and his original appearance never addressed.
1. Shatterstar
Like Feral, Shatterstar also made his first appearance in New Mutants #99 and was a founding member of X-Force. Gaveedra Seven was the son of Longshot and Dazzler, but he was also responsible for Longshot’s existence, because… comics. Shatterstar was forced to battle in arenas for Mojo’s entertainment programs. He escaped and went back in time looking for the X-Men, but instead Cable roped him into joining X-Force.
Aside from superhuman speed, strength, and reflexes, Shatterstar is also capable of teleportation, as long as he has an emotional anchor. Aside from that, he also has hollow bones, advanced learning capabilities, and can create shockwaves through his swords.
Fans became very invested in the loving relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar, and would love to see this portrayed on the big screen. No major superhero film thus far has had any LGBT characters, even ancillary ones. Shatterstar would be an awesome way to finally begin to remedy this. Either he or Rictor – ideally both – could make for a revolutionary addition to the movie.
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What members of X-Force would you like to see in the film? Let us know in the comments!
