Before the steel-skinned X-Men made his memorable debut in 2016’s Deadpool, Colossus nearly looked very different — complete with a hood and robe that wouldn’t be out of place in a galaxy far, far away.
While Joshua James Shaw handled the concept art for Deadpool himself and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, artist Alexander Lozano was brought in to reimagine Colossus for his updated appearance in the R-rated hit. Though Colossus had already been seen in previous X-Men films, the creative team opted for a complete redesign — one that went through several surprising stages before landing on the now-iconic final look.
Lozano recently reflected on those early drafts, revealing that there was some uncertainty over whether Colossus would be a more shadowy figure or out in the open like his comic book counterpart. That creative indecision gave him room to experiment.
“Before the ‘final design’ was found, I tried a few different ways,” Lozano explained. “At that point of time, I didn’t know if Colossus was planned as a ‘walking around in bright daylight’ character or more of a ‘hide in the shadows’ hero like in the old X-Men days. So I played around with a Darth Maul-hoodie and the idea to place the ‘X’ very subtle on his chest with the endings of his scarf.”
Some of the early concepts gave Colossus a cloak and hood, evoking something more aligned with a Star Wars Jedi than a Russian mutant. Lozano also noted that he was thinking practically, even incorporating elements like boot designs that mirrored the signature metal ripples in Colossus’s arms, and even included “a lot of possibilities to fix all the X-Men mansion keys at his pants.”
Ultimately, the filmmakers opted for a more traditional version of the character — towering, armored, and ready to be the reluctant straight man to Deadpool’s chaotic antics. But it’s always fascinating to see how different things could have been, especially for such a fan-favorite character.
Would you have wanted to see a stealthier, hooded version of Colossus in the final cut of Deadpool? Let us know what you think below!
Source: Alexander Lozano Facebook