Production is well underway on the X-Men franchise prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine under the direction of Gavin Hood, so of course tidbits of information are starting to leak out, both officially and otherwise. Today we have a trio of casting stories that may or may not hold water. Proceed with appropriate sized grains of salt.
First up is word that The Blob, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants member not the gelatinous creature from outer space with the Steve McQueen-fixation, is making an appearance in the film. Film School Rejects has a story from a “very reliable source in the production” that a fat suit is currently being created to make an actor look like the 800 pound bad guy. No word yet as to whom may be sliding into the suit though.
This morning brings news from Superhero Hype that the mutant hero many fans have been clamoring to appear every time an X-Men film has been announced is FINALLY getting his time to shine on the silver screen. According to the site Taylor Kitsch of NBC’s Friday Night Lights is set to appear as the trenchcoated Gambit. Reportedly he has signed a three picture deal, meaning that he Fox is already looking ahead to more X-Men films, either as part of the main franchise or spinoffs like the Wolverine project.
Another popular character who might be appearing is the mercenary Deadpool. Although he has been circling the character for some time, either to appear in an X-Men film or his own standalone vehicle, Ryan Reynolds has never been officially committed to appearing as the “merc with a mouth” on screen. But now, AintItCoolNews is claiming that he has indeed been cast as Deadpool to appear in Wolverine. For those unfamiliar with the character’s background, Deadpool is a product of the same Canadian weapons program that produced Wolverine, so it seems natural that he would should up here. But will he be a main character in this film, or is his appearance only to help set up a Deadpool spinoff flick somewhere further down the line. Given Marvel’s push to cross-pollinate their movies, it seems that either or even both possibilities are likely.
