Massive spoilers ahead for Deadpool 2. If you haven't seen the new sequel, turn away!
It's a very exciting month for Marvel fans. While the MCU was altered forever with Avengers: Infinity War, this weekend brings another blockbuster years in the making. Deadpool 2 has finally arrived in theaters, bringing the Merc with a Mouth back to the silver screen for more action, comedy, and heart. The contents of Deadpool 2 have been kept under wraps by 20th Century Fox, and hardcore fans will notice that quite a few shots from the trailer don't make it into the final product. In particular, the shots of the X-Force kicking ass and taking names. As you'll remember, the team's first mission doesn't exactly go as planned. As co-writer Rhett Reese told CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg,
That day on set was the most fun we had too, because the actors were very generous, and they were willing to shoot extra footage for marketing and for commercials. So during the day, before we shot the helicopter jump, the skydiving shot, Terry and Bill and the guys were all out back like fighting stuntmen and getting shot against green screen, and knowing that it was all fake - it wasn't going to go in the movie.
In addition to signing up for small roles in Deadpool 2, it seems that the members of the X-Force were extra generous with their time. While on break they shot extra footage for the trailers, to keep the fandom off the scent of the team's true fate. And it definitely worked, as the X-Force jump from the helicopter resulted in horrifying deaths nobody in theaters was expecting.
Rheet Reese's comments to Eric Eisenberg prove how methodically Deadpool 2's marketing campaign truly was. While the franchise is known for its commercials and short videos, there was still a ton of secrecy surrounding Wade Wilson's second solo film. The fandom picks apart new trailers with care, taking note of every single frame of footage. Fans might have noticed that the X-Force were never shown actually in battle, and deduced they might be short lived characters. As such, cool fight scenes were shot and edited into the trailers just to throw us off.
The gag ultimately worked out, too. After recruiting the colorful members of the X-Force, the audience (and Wade Wilson) are mortified as their helicopter jump resulted in the horrifying deaths of Bedlam (Terry Crews), Zeitgest (Bill Skarsgård), Shatterstar (Lewis Tan), Peter (Rob Delaney), and Brad Pitt's surprise character Vanisher. They all died in unique and gruesome ways, and succeeded in one of the most unexpected moments of gore in the sequel.
While some Marvel fans will be bummed to see the X-Force die without actually engaging in battle, there will be a new team assembled when the X-Force gets a movie of its own. For now, we can enjoy the brief life of the original team.
Deadpool 2 is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
