"Deadpool 2" doesn't even have an official director at this point, but 20th Century Fox is already putting maximum effort into "Deadpool 3."

The Hollywood Reporter just posted a lengthy analysis called "Fox's X-Men Issues: Jennifer Lawrence Unsigned, 'Deadpool' Defections, 'Gambit' on Hold." It wasn't the most positive piece, but the light at the end of the tunnel was this section on the future of Ryan Reynolds's Merc With a Mouth:

"And in a sign of how much faith it has in the Reynolds-starring franchise, Fox already is planning Deadpool 3, readying a filmmaker search for a storyline that will involve another X-team, X-Force, say sources."

Nice. Who will direct it and when will it show up? No idea. "Deadpool 2" doesn't even have a firm release date at this point, we're just expecting it in early 2018. "Deadpool" director Tim Miller recently dropped out of the sequel, and composer Tom Holkenborg followed him out the door. "John Wick" director David Leitch was reported as the "strong frontrunner" to take over as "Deadpool 2" director, and THR said he is now in negotiations.

"Deadpool 2" is meant to include the character of Cable, who is a member of the X-Force, which Collider describes as "a slightly darker, more aggressive version of the X-Men, with members including Deadpool, Colossus, Cyclops, Archangel, Wolverine, and Cable."

Ryan Reynolds has said he'd like to make the X-Force a priority, and producer Simon Kinberg previously mentioned a possible X-Force movie to Collider. It seems like a logical next step after Cable joins the team in D2. X-Force may still get its own standalone movie, in addition to whatever they want to do in D3. We'll have to see. At least we know there's discussion out there about the X-Foce and Deadpool on the big screen, in whatever fashion they arrive.

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