Deadpool 2 Will Setup X-Force and Tell a Standalone Story

Deadpool 2 has had to overcome a few creative speedbumps, but it’s now back on track. With a new director (John Wick‘s David Leitch) and some big X-Men characters being introduced to the movie universe for the first time (Cable, Domino) it’s going to truly be a bigger sequel.

Fans are still waiting on an official Cable casting announcement, but we now know that Atlanta star Zazie Beetz is playing Domino. With those two major characters joining the film, X-Men fans have been wondering just how much of Deadpool 2 will be used as a launchpad to upcoming X-Men movies like X-Force. While out doing the press tour for their new film Life, Deadpool 1 & 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick broke down how Deadpool will be investing its screen time.

According to the writers, Deadpool 2 will indeed (at least in part) be used to set up the X-Force team ensemble; but once that film is launched, Deadpool 3 would actually be able to narrow its focus back down ot its central character. As Reese told Cinemablend:

“It’s working in an expansive way towards X-Force, which will really be more of an ensemble. But then that will allow us to do both an X-Force movie and a Deadpool 3, which actually contracts back down… So I think we’ll be able to take two paths. One is where we’re launching something bigger, but then another where we’re contracting and staying personal and small. So I think best of all worlds, really.”

Of course, some fans will hear that plan and start worrying about Deadpool 2 falling into the same trap as, say, Marvel’s Iron Man 2 – which is now infamous for subverting a standalone character story with a lot of Avengers world-building. Reese and Wernick are all to aware of that concern, and won’t let the larger demands of the X-Men universe distract them from delivering a satisfying Deadpool sequel. As Reese explained:

“Our first goal is to tell a Deadpool story in an emotional, fun, satisfying way. And then the fact that we’re setting up something in the future — it’s happening, but you’re not gonna see that mustache-twirling villain, who is going ‘Hahaha, [it’s all coming into place].’ You’re just not going to see that, because that’s not our game.

…Deadpool is a character piece, Deadpool is the leader of this very dysfunctional family. There are new people coming into that family, and there are old people that you’ve fallen in love with — with the conflict between Deadpool and, for example, Colossus and NTW. So yeah, it’s a delicate balance, but primarily keeping a Deadpool movie.”

The bottom line here is that every comic book movie franchise faces these sorts of sophomore hurdles now, and Deadpool 2 has something to prove in regards to getting this balance between solo character and franchise universe right. While it’s easy to believe in a quality storytelling team like Reese and Wernick, history has proven time and again that a studio can force disruptive crossover connections into a film, for the sake of selling the larger franchise universe.

That’s all to say: good intentions only take you so far in the movie biz…

MORE: Cable And Wade’s Dynamic Explained / Logan & Deadpool Would-be Trailer / Deadpool’s Colossus Reveals Which X-Men Property He’d Like To Appear In [Exclusive]

The Deadpool sequel, which is being directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) and written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, is currently in pre-production and is expected to begin filming at the end of this spring. The film will introduce Deadpool’s time-traveling mutant partner, Cable, as well as X-Force member Domino, who is being portrayed by Atlanta actress Zazie Beetz. Supporting charactersfrom the original film — such as Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic), Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and taxi driver Dopinder (Karan Soni) — are also expected to return.

Deadpool 2 will arrive in theaters in 2018.