Deadpool is finally arriving in theaters this Friday. And it’s not a PG-13 family friendly version we will be seeing, nor will it be the softer toned-down version we saw in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. No, the film, based on early screening reactions and our own review, is the Deadpool that we have been waiting to see. Much of Fox’s X-Men film franchise has been focused on the titular mutants, with Wolverine getting a good amount of the attention and even a couple of spinoffs. A film based on the Merc with a Mouth will be the first time that Fox has expanded the X-Men film universe beyond Wolverine, and based on strong reviews and a strong show of support from fans, it looks like we may see many more in the future.

With the X-Men franchise continuing to expand and its film universe’s timeline reset thanks to the events of Days of Futures Past, which means that there will be even more stories to work with, and perhaps new teams to introduce. One of those teams Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds would like to see is X-Force, in fact he is making it his priority. More on the story below.

Speaking with FILMSTARTS (via Collider), Reynolds talks about how X-Men‘s expansive world and numerous storylines would allow them to explore more stories and expand the universe even further. He hopes that by making X-Force his priority, that the X-Men film universe can grow:

The X-Men film universe doesn’t look like they will be joining the MCU anytime soon, and because of the success of the film franchise, they don’t really need to. But in order for them to stay in the competition, they will need to find new ways to grow beyond just the X-Men and Wolverine. Having a film about Deadpool is certainly one way to do it, and depending on its success, we could see more of the humorous side of the X-Men film universe. But introducing X-Force, Fox could have their own subgenre films in the X-Men universe, the same way Marvel has theirs with Captain America being a political thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy being a space opera, etc.

So what is the X-Force? For those that don’t know, the X-Force is a mutant strike force that consists of current and former members of the X-Men or mutants with loose connections to the team. And like most teams in Marvel Comics, their roster can change and/or grow. But the purpose of the team is to take a more proactive stance against threats to mutantkind. Some of the most notable members of X-Force are Wolverine, Deadpool, Pyslocke, Archangel, Nightcrawler, and Deathlok.

Right now, all this talk of X-Force is just that. Talk. There is really no telling what kind of approach Fox will take if the film does happen. Will they treat it as a sequel to Deadpool the way WB treated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as a quasi-sequel to Man of Steel, or will they build up to it the way Marvel has built up to the Avengers with their solo films. Whatever the case, an X-Force film sounds really exciting, and we will be sure to keep you up to date should we hear of any developments.

[Source: FILMSTARTS (via Collider)]