According to Marvel’s outgoing X-Men editor, Juggernaut and Deadpool were supposed to co-lead their own team during the franchise’s Krakoan Era – in what is immediately being called one of the biggest missed opportunities of the last several years. Though the two did team up, the story could’ve been very different, as it was originally supposed to feature the inclusion of at least one more fan-favorite character.

Speaking with AIPT for X-Men Monday, Editor Jordan D. White pulled back the curtain on many of the creative decisions made during the Krakoan Era. Among the wide-ranging answers he offered, White revealed his pitch for a plot that would have brought together Deadpool, Juggernaut, and the hero Longshot for an adventure written by legendary X-scribe Fabian Nicieza.

White’s original idea eventually morphed into the X-Men Unlimited story that paired Deadpool and Juggernaut; following the interview’s release, however, many fans have already expressed their regret at the omission of Longshot – for which White half-jokingly laid the responsibility at Nicieza’s feet.

X-Men Fans Missed Out The All-Star Team Of Deadpool, Juggernaut, & Longshot

Jordan D. White’s “Friends Of X” Pitch

Deadpool and Juggernaut are two of Marvel’s most popular characters. Both were initially introduced as villains, but over their histories, have definitively carved out niches for themselves as premiere heroes. Each of them appeared prominently in the Krakoan Era of the X-Men franchise. Notably, though they are most closely associated with mutantkind, neither Wade Wilson nor Cain Marko possess the “X-gene,” technically meaning neither is actually a mutant. According to Jordan D. White – whose tenure with the X-Office is ending with the conclusion of the Krakoan Era – this was the perfect grounds for a team-up.

As White explained:

At one point, I thought, let’s do an arc of X-Men Unlimited called “Friends of X,” and it can be the non-mutant X-Men characters.

More than just the iconic duo of Juggernaut and Deadpool, White’s pitch also included another non-mutant X-character: Longshot. Originally introduced in the mid-80s, Longshot has been a cult-favorite character among X-Men readers for decades, but beyond his creator, author Anne Nocenti, many X-scribes have struggled to find suitable storylines for the character, leading to a diminished role throughout the past several decades, and virtually no presence in the Krakoan Era. “His name would come up every once in a while,” White told AIPT, but concrete plans to use him never materialized.

White’s “Friends of X” pitch may have been the closest Longshot came to appearing in a Krakoan Era story, in a substantial way. Joining Deadpool and Juggernaut would have put a strong spotlight on the character, undoubtedly introducing him to a new generation of fans. For readers already familiar with Longshot, it is disappointing to hear that he could have been given a prominent role – and a chance at the same revitalizing touch that elevated so many X-Men characters during the Krakoan Era – but that it didn’t come to fruition.

Readers Were Lucky Enough To Get Juggernaut & Deadpool’s Team-Up

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #13 Through #20 –Written By Fabian Nicieza; Art By Matt Horak; Lettering By Joe Sabino

As Jordan D. White described, he approached legendary writer and Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza about writing the “Friends of X” story, and it was Nicieza that cut Longshot out of the equation. According to White:

I pitched that to Fabian Nicieza and he came back with, “Can I just do Deadpool and Juggernaut teaming up instead?” [Laughs] And so that’s what happened.

So Longshot was going to be there and you can all get mad at Fabian for denying him more comics. But don’t really get mad at Fabian. I love Fabian.

Certainly, far from getting angry with any writer, X-Men fans should understand that some creators are more comfortable working with some characters than others. Rather than disinterest in Longshot, it is much more likely that Fabian Nicieza quickly saw the potential in a Juggernaut/Deadpool team-up, and opted to focus on that.

This is backed up by the story that Nicieza delivered, X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic’s “Paradise Lost” arc. In addition to being a high-caliber buddy comedy plot, the story served as a spotlight for both characters, centering them firmly within the X-Men franchise and its Krakoan Era paradigm, while also delivering the classic action and hilarity that readers expected from a collaboration between the two. Among the superfluity of great X-Men stories that came out of the Krakoan Era, “Paradise Lost” risks being lost in the shuffle, but it is a must-read for fans of Juggernaut and Deadpool – even lacking Longshot.

Readers should, of course, be grateful for this Nicieza-penned tale as it turned out – while at the same time, the fan response to Jordan D. White’s comments sends a clear signal to Marvel that there is an appetite for the return of Longshot. At this point, it is safe to describe him as one of the X-franchise’s most underrated characters, but that will only be the case until an intrepid writer revitalizes the character. With the Krakoan Era wrapping up, and exciting new things ahead for X-Men, it is likely Longshot will return sooner rather than later.

Longshot Has A Chance To Rise “From The Ashes” With X-Men’s Upcoming Reboot

If Readers Are Lucky

While Juggernaut and Deadpool’s “Paradise Lost” team-up is a great story, upon hearing Jordan D. White’s original pitch, readers also expressed disappointment at missing out on the two leading a larger team together. Whether or not this ever happens in some form, both characters will continue to be among the most prominent X-heroes. With the upcoming “From the Ashes” relaunch, Juggernaut is already confirmed to remain in a pivotal role for the franchise, while Deadpool’s mainstream popularity ensures that he is one of Marvel’s most valuable characters.

That leaves Longshot – and fans of the character – hoping that “From the Ashes” will also bring him back, giving him a relevant role in the contemporary landscape of X-Men. As X-history has exhibited time and again, when characters fade into obscurity like Longshot has, it is rarely forever. Instead, it tends to mean that the definitive incarnation of the character has yet to be penned. In other words, the full dynamic range of the character’s potential hasn’t been discovered, and all that is needed is an ambitious writer looking to use a familiar character in a unique, exciting way.

“From the Ashes” will offer this opportunity, as well as the chance for Juggernaut and Deadpool to be depicted in positions of leadership among the X-Men, which they have earned as top characters for the franchise. Whatever comes to be in the future, fans can expect to be treated to a wave of fresh, engaging depictions of their favorite mutant –​​​​​​​ and in some cases, non-mutant – heroes and villains. At one time, the Krakoan Era was the same wide open expanse of possibilities; now, as it draws to a close, readers can more clearly assess what could have been done better, or worse, with characters like Longshot, Juggernaut, and Deadpool.

Source: AIPT, X-Men Monday