Fans are looking forward to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming X-Men reboot, but that project was the subject of a couple of disappointing updates in a new report. In the wake of The Fantastic Four: First Steps opening in theaters, Variety zoomed out to take the pulse of the MCU as a whole. The outlet notes that Marvel is busy working on a new X-Men film, and the studio is said to be targeting “younger talent, rather than A-listers” during the casting process in an effort to keep the film’s production budget under control.
Videos by ComicBook.com
One thing viewers are very curious about is when they’ll get to see X-Men. Unfortunately, it sounds like they’re in for an extended wait. While Disney has reserved a July 2027 release date for an untitled Marvel film, Variety notes that will not be where X-Men launches.
After impressing Marvel brass with his work on this summer’s Thunderbolts*, director Jake Schreier has been hired to helm the MCU’s X-Men reboot. The filmmaker has hinted that his take on the classic mutant team will be “very different” from previous cinematic iterations, expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity to dive deep into the rich source material. No actors have been cast in the film yet, though Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said Schreier was picked because of his ability to appeal to “a younger demographic.”
Earlier this year, Disney secured a December 2028 release date for a mystery Marvel movie, sparking speculation that will be the window for X-Men. Fans believe prime holiday season real estate is ideal for the relaunch of the X-Men film series, especially since those characters are expected to play a large role in the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars resets the franchise. Feige reportedly has a 10-year plan in mind for the X-Men, meaning the next saga could be the Mutant Saga.
With Feige already praising Schreier’s ability to tap into younger demographics, the update on the casting process isn’t surprising. If the story is going in a more youth-focused direction, it only makes sense for the ensemble to reflect that. Additionally, that strategy is logical from a business perspective. The MCU is not nearly as prolific at the box office as it was during its heyday in the 2010s; over the course of the Multiverse Saga, multiple projects have fallen short of expectations. One way to combat that is to keep production costs in check, making it easier for the film to turn a profit. The international box office that Marvel used to lean on to boost figures isn’t as lucrative as it once was, so budgets need to be contained. Some might be disappointed that there might not be any A-listers appearing in X-Men, but the reboot could be a launching pad for a new generation of talent — similar to how the old Fox movies turned Hugh Jackman into a household name.
As for the release date, fans shouldn’t expect to see X-Men until the Multiverse Saga has wrapped up. Right now, the MCU is going full speed ahead to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, with multiple actors from the Fox X-Men films confirmed to appear in the former. There isn’t time or space to introduce new versions of the mutants right now, especially since viewers will be reacquainted with Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, Ian McKellen, and more next year. Doomsday can serve as a last hurrah for the old guard before they give way to a new generation.
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Starz -
Image Courtesy of TOHO -
Courtesy of Marvel
