The MCU version of X-Men is officially on the way, and Marvel Studios is not playing it safe with the upcoming reboot. Although the Fox era of the superhero franchise is set to return in a big way in this December’s Avengers: Doomsday, the studio has its own plans to usher in a new generation of mutants. Expected to release after Secret Wars, a new X-Men film is officially in the works, and one of the writers just revealed the creative direction it is headed.
In an interview with Deadline, Beef creator Lee Sung Jin discussed his role as the writer behind the new X-Men film from Marvel Studios. Of course, he made sure to avoid any plot details, but revealed that Kevin Fiege and co. are letting him and director Jake Schreier let loose on the MCU project. Unlike Thunderbolts*, the X-Men reboot is completely disconnected from the past, allowing them to take a “big swing” on the iconic heroes. Furthermore, don’t expect the latest take on the mutants to take cues from previous on-screen iterations, but rather zone in on the character-driven nature of the comics.
“Truthfully, it’s same parameters on this project, which is so exciting. I’d say there were actually more parameters on Thunderbolts because it was plugging into an existing arc and existing characters, whereas with X-Men, Kevin [Feige] just wants to take a big swing and start anew, not be beholden to any of the movies that have come before. And Jake Schreier has such a clear vision in terms of wanting to get back to character first, and to what is exciting about those early [Chris] Claremont-run comics, which was all about team dynamics. There were a lot of soapy elements to those comics. We’ve been in the room every day together. Kevin and Louis [D’Esposito] are so dialed in, and they have such incredible instincts that it’s been fun to just blue-sky.
I’m such a big fan of that IP of the comics. My dad and I, every Saturday morning, used to watch the show on television, so to be able to look around this Marvel conference room and have every X-Men character on the board and be able to spitball and freestyle on, ‘What about this person?’ it’s so emboldening, because you’re like, ‘Oh, wow, this isn’t going to be a safe movie. This is actually going to be a really exciting new take.'”
As the writer behind X-Men confirms the franchise’s bold new direction, Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege recently doubled down on the film being skewered toward younger audiences. Praising director Jake Schreier for his character-focused take on the Thunderbolts, Fiege promised during a roundtable (via Collider) that his version of the X-Men would be “very youth-oriented, focused and cast movie.” There is increasing speculation that Spider-Man: Brand New Day introduces Stranger Things star Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, but it sounds like the mutant feature will recruit a cast of young, potentially unknown actors.
While the new X-Men film does not have an official date, it has long been speculated to occupy one of Marvel Studios’ two summer 2028 release slots — May 8 or July 28, 2028. It can be reasonably expected that the company will remain secretive about the project until both Avengers films make their way into theaters. However, with Marvel officially returning to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con this July, there is a chance that a new slate is announced. X-Men is expected to be the tone-setter for the next saga, so one of the mid-2028 release dates after Secret Wars is certainly on the table.
- Director
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Jake Schreier
- Writers
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Michael Lesslie
- Franchise(s)
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Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
