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[Interview] How David Leitch’s ‘X-Force’ Movie Became ‘Deadpool 2’

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6 years ago

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Deadpool 2 makes a joke about the inevitable X-Force movie. It’s already in the trailers. Deadpool dubs Domino (Zazie Beetz), Bedlam (Terry Crews) and their team the X-Force. Domino herself calls out how derivative that name is. While Deadpool 2 is sure not to become an X-Force movie, director David Leitch was actually developing X-Force when he was called upon to direct Deadpool 2.

“Part of the function of this movie was to introduce X-Force and expand the world with Deadpool in it,” Leitch told us. “That was something that drew me to the material. I was on early developing X-Force for a brief amount of time, which is how I think my name came up so quickly for Deadpool 2. So I left that to do this film, helping to introduce these characters in this way.”

X-Force wasn’t quite at the point of choosing team members when Leitch left, but he got several in Deadpool 2.

“We were still in discussions about who it was going to be and who we wanted in,” Leitch said. “It was really early days. It was sort of right around that time. Honestly, a month into it, I was doing my research about how I saw the world and I was putting together my package and take about what X-Force could be for me as a filmmaker. They flipped the script on me and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in doing Deadpool 2?’ So I met with Ryan [Reynolds] on that.”

Reynolds has been the champion of Deadpool ever since he played a wonky version of Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Insisting that a real Deadpool movie be rated R, Reynolds even orchestrated the leak of a camera test that got the first movie greenlit. So he was equally discerning about the sequel.

“They had been working on some drafts,” Leitch said. “He had a real strong point of view about where he wanted to take it and I really liked it. As daunting as it was to step into a sequel that was so beloved, I really felt it was a good story and I wanted to tell it.”

An X-Force movie is inevitable, and there is already a New Mutants movie in production. It’s kind of funny, since the New Mutants comics introduced Deadpool, but the Deadpool movies came first. Leitch said he didn’t knowingly set up anything in New Mutants, but wouldn’t put it past Reynolds to sneak something in.

“Honestly, I don’t think we did,” Leitch said. “I say that because there are times when Mr. Ryan Reynolds might slip an Easter egg in through the art department that I might even be unaware of. I would think the Deadpool universe is standalone in some respects.”

Deadpool 2 opens May 18.

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‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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