We've been hearing since 2013 that 20^th Century Fox is developing an X-Force movie, but a report from last November suggested that they’re planning a third Deadpool movie that will involve that band of mutants. So, there's been confusion about whether X-Force and Deadpool 3 are just different tags for the same project.

Recently, Rhett Reese confirmed that they’re going to be two entirely different movies. According to the writer/producer, X-Force will be "more of an ensemble", while Deadpool 3 will be a standalone movie. When Cinema Blend asked whether the two are one and the same or two distinct projects, he responded:

Yeah, Deadpool 3 will be different from X-Force. 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.

In a separate interview with Screen Rant, Reese and his writing partner Paul Wernick discussed casting Cable for Deadpool 2. After suggesting that they would announce the actor who would play the time-travelling mutant "reasonably soon", Reese continued:

He's important as his own character, but his relationship to Deadpool is very important, so you have to get someone that has a good rapport with [Reynolds], someone who can bounce off him, and someone that can be a straight man to his lunatic, but also be funny in his own right.

Wernick mentioned qualities like “ominous, tough, and badass”. Then Reese added:

And kinda scary, and come from another time, and not really relate to Deadpool and his ridiculous pop-culture references, so all of those things are gonna require kind of a heavyweight. Someone who can really handle it, and we're getting close to that actor. Again, I can't say it.

When the interviewer dropped the names of rumored contenders for the role of Cable, such as Russell Crowe, David Harbour, and Pierce Brosnan, the duo responded with a laugh and said that those names – as well as a few more – were on their shortlist. They offered up a couple of names of their own, including Stephen Lang and Liam Neeson. Reese concluded:

Like, it's been flying around, and most of those names, not every single one I mentioned, but most of them I feel very comfortable, actually. There's some solid, solid actors on that list.

Are you glad about X-Force and Deadpool 3 being two distinct projects? Which actor do you want to see as Cable? Share via comments, and stay tuned for the latest updates!