X-Men ‘97 was released to critical acclaim in March, proving that the world is ready for more X-Men stories. In response, Marvel is finally taking major leaps forward in introducing the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the first step complete, Marvel has hired a screenwriter, Michael Lesslie.

A Writer For X-Men Has Been Hired

While Lesslie’s career has been growing since 2007, he’s a bit of a newcomer to tent pole feature films. After spending nearly 20 years working in theater and writing scripts for independent features, the writer’s name shot into the general public’s eye when he crafted the screenplay for Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. After the film’s financial success and generally positive reviews, Lesslie is joining the Marvel team to bring an X-Men movie to life.

Marvel’s X-Men movie is still in the beginning stages of creation, with Lesslie’s acquisition marking only the first step. The film is still without a director, any talent, or even an official name. However, Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige is confirmed to produce.

Marvel’s X-Men Has Been In The Works For A Very Long Time

Marvel has had an X-Men movie in the pipeline for a long time. It was one of the first projects to be greenlit following the resolution of last year’s writer’s strike. After going through some major replanning over the last year, Marvel wanted to do things right with the new film and took their time finding a scriptwriter and interviewing numerous candidates to find the right person.

Disney Has Had The Rights For 5 Years

Now that the first step is complete, Marvel will likely still take its time as Lesslie develops the X-Men script. Meanwhile, the studio will likely soon be searching for a director, and then begin to sort through the many talented possibilities of actors hoping to form the cast.

Hopefully, it will be worth the wait. Marvel fans have been waiting for an X-Men movie for a very long time, with some having dreamed of a future reboot since before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its library in 2019. The X-Men universe was easily the most popular and profitable Marvel property that Fox managed, featuring seven films and a successful Wolverine spinoff series.

X-Men 97 Is The Best Marvel Series In Years

Marvel already whetted our appetites for more X-Men with the recent release of X-Men ‘97, an animated television series reviving X-Men: The Animated Series, which ran from 1992 to 1997. The series, which was created by Beau DeMayo, received critical acclaim, with Rotten Tomatoes scoring the series 98 percent and claiming it to be the best Marvel release in years, even though it’s not a part of the official MCU.

Deadpool & Wolverine Brings The X-Men To The MCU

Critics commented how the Marvel animated series managed to pull off staying true to the late ’90s original while serving both nostalgia and anticipation for more X-Men content to come. Next up, Deadpool & Wolverine is set to hit the theaters this summer. The Deadpool trequel is anticipated to mark the first real introduction to the X-Men that the MCU has seen.

The Writer Of The Hunger Games Prequel Movie

Lesslie’s career has spanned from writing a BAFTA-nominated short film in 2005 and adapting Swimming With Sharks for the West End in 2007 to scripting and producing high-profile projects, including the 2015 adaptation of Macbeth, Assassin’s Creed, and TV series The Little Drummer Girl. Then, starting with the recent 2023 adaptation of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, he’s becoming the go-to guy for franchise sequels, with the Now You See Me sequel to be his next release before he brings the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.