Josh Brolin was set to play two versions of the same character in Fox’s scrapped “X-Force” movie, according to Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld, who revealed the previously unknown detail this week in an exclusive conversation with The Direct at MultiCon 2026.
Liefeld confirmed that Brolin, already locked into a multi-picture deal to play Cable, would have taken on a dual role in the unmade film — reprising Cable while also playing Stryfe, a clone of the character and one of the X-Men universe’s more ruthless villains. Per ComicBasics, Liefeld said Brolin was genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity, describing the chance to play both the hero and villain sides of the same character as something the actor was excited about, though Liefeld noted he isn’t certain whether Brolin’s interest in returning to the role has held up given how much time has passed.
The project traces back to 2013, when 20th Century Fox first announced plans for an “X-Force” film with Jeff Wadlow attached to write and direct. According to a production history compiled on the Cancelled Movies Wiki, Rob Liefeld confirmed that same year that Cable and Deadpool would both appear in the film, and leaked concept art from December 2015 showed a team that also included Domino, Warpath, Cannonball and Feral.
The project shifted direction again after “Deadpool 2” introduced its own live-action version of X-Force on screen. “Daredevil” creator Drew Goddard eventually took over the film, developing a spinoff built around Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, Brolin’s Cable and Zazie Beetz’s Domino, all reprising their roles from the earlier Deadpool films. That version of “X-Force” never made it to production. Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox brought development to a halt, and the film was shelved entirely once Marvel Studios took creative control of the X-Men franchise, according to The Direct’s reporting.
Brolin’s Cable hasn’t reappeared on screen since “Deadpool 2,” sitting out “Deadpool & Wolverine” entirely despite the film’s heavy use of legacy cameos. Brolin himself addressed the character’s absence in comments to Collider around the time of that film’s release, cited by ComicBook.com, joking that he wasn’t sure why he’d been left out and speculating, half-seriously, that Reynolds simply might not have wanted him in the film.
Rumors about Cable’s return have persisted since. Earlier this year, a report picked up by SuperHeroHype suggested Marvel Studios was considering reviving a Reynolds-led X-Force-style project independent of the studio’s separate, in-development X-Men reboot. Social media leaker MyTimeToShineHello, cited in that report, claimed the new team-up would bring back Brolin’s Cable and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, joined by an MCU version of Storm — a lineup that would represent a notable departure from any version of X-Force previously discussed for the character. None of this has been confirmed by Marvel Studios, and the studio continues working on a separate, unrelated X-Men film with its own creative team.
