Skip to main content

'Deadpool,' X-Men spinoff 'X-Force' gets a new director: Drew Goddard

Drew Goddard X-Force
Image used with permission by copyright holder
In February, we wrote that Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces) had been tabbed as writer and director for X-Force, a spinoff film featuring a group of Marvel antiheroes, including Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), Cable (Josh Brolin), and more.

Apparently, Carhanan must have left the project at some point because, on Thursday, Deadline reported that Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) will take over both duties for the film. Goddard, 42, has never directed a superhero movie, but the writer/director was attached to the planned Sinister Six spinoff before its cancelation.

Goddard is most recently known for being the showrunner for Daredevil, a Marvel-Netflix project which earned acclaim for its writing, tone, and lead performances. He also wrote The Martian — and was supposed to direct the film — before stepping aside and allowing Ridley Scott to take over.

Rumor has it that Reynolds will be involved in the writing process; the actor has been linked to the Deadpool character since 2004 when the character stated that his face resembled “Ryan Reynolds mixed with a shar-pei” in a comic book. For several years, Reynolds struggled to find a studio that would greenlight a Deadpool film, feeling that he was naturally suited to play the role.

X-Force functions similarly to the X-Men, except the team is more ruthless and cold-blooded. Reynolds’ Deadpool looks to be the group’s leader — or at least its most recognizable voice — with Cable likely to take on a senior officer-type role. Both characters (especially Deadpool, obviously) figure heavily in David Leitch’s Deadpool 2, which is currently set for a June 2018 release. X-Force represents yet another foray into the popular fictional universe; there have been eight X-Men films since 2002 and next year we will get X-Men: New Mutants in April, as well as X-Men: Dark Phoenix in November.

X-Force made its debut in 1991’s New Mutants No. 100. Apart from Deadpool and Cable, the list of superheroes and other characters associated with X-Force is lengthy and, as such, it’s difficult to predict which of these characters might appear in the film. Given that X-Force is a Marvel property, we expect to see Stan Lee in some sort of cameo role. It is also a safe bet that X-Force will be rated ‘R.’

Editors' Recommendations

Nick Hastings
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick is a Portland native and a graduate of Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor's of Communication. Nick's…
10 X-Men who need to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The X-Men gather for a group photo on a Marvel comic book.

One of the biggest questions that has been on every Marvel fan's mind is: "When are we getting the X-Men?" Though the classic animated series from the '90s is supposed to hit Disney+ in the near future, many fans are still hoping to see the iconic team of heroes appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside the powerful Avengers.

While we wait for that to happen, here's a list of X-Men who should be brought into the MCU (excluding the members with confirmed appearances, such as Professor X, Wolverine, Deadpool, and Colossus).
Psylocke

Read more
10 most powerful X-Men villains, ranked from weakest to strongest
Magneto uses his power in X-Men: Apocalypse.

The world of Marvel's X-Men has presented some of the most powerful villains in comic book history. Many superpowered mutants have wielded a variety of godlike abilities, making them formidable adversaries to Professor X's team of heroes.

The X-Men have also fought against primordial entities, ancient aliens, magical warriors, and malevolent machines that have made their wars about more than just maintaining peace between humans and mutants. With that in mind, here is the list of the most powerful villains that the X-Men ever faced.
10. Shadow King

Read more
How to watch the X-Men movies in order
Promotional artwork from X-Men: Days of Future Past

In 2019, Fox Studios' extensive X-Men cinematic saga concluded with X-Men: Dark Phoenix. That means it's a rife franchise for a movie marathon! But if you watch in the order of release date, you may confuse yourself.

On one hand, the X-Men movies bounce around all over chronologically. The first few films take place in a vague "future," while later films take place in the late 20th century. Then there's the time travel thing, making it all even more complicated with rebooted timelines and possible futures. The franchise also has some uneven quality -- including some of the best superhero movies you'll ever see, along with a few of the worst.

Read more