Kevin Feige has reportedly narrowed down his selection to two writers who may guide the X-Men into the MCU, and fans are not happy with the picks.

kevin feige, x-men '97

Fans are truly excited about the MCU’s efforts to bring back the X-Men, anticipating an epic journey ahead. It is now no secret that Marvel Studios has been diligently searching for the right writer to spearhead the X-Men movie script, with recent reports confirming that they’ve narrowed it down to two final candidates.

Kevin Feige. Credits: Wikimedia Commons

Kevin Feige

However, fans find it somewhat peculiar that despite the recent surge in popularity of the X-Men ’97 animated series, Kevin Feige is not considering hiring that team for the movie, and they are not shy to vocalize their concerns, to say the least.

Meet the Two Finalists Shortlisted by Kevin Feige to Spearhead the Writing Process for the X-Men MCU Movie!

The search for writers for the X-Men movie has been ongoing for quite some time now, with the MCU taking this process pretty seriously. This is no ordinary task, as it’s pivotal in shaping the highly anticipated X-Men saga within the multiverse.

In a recent exclusive by The InSneider, Jeff Sneider sat down with two finalists who could potentially steer the X-Men into the MCU. While the task ahead isn’t a walk in the park, their impressive resumes certainly make them worthy contenders at least in the eyes of the MCU boss, Kevin Feige.

The Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time

First up is Rafe Judkins, a talent with a repertoire spanning film and television. From his supervising producer role on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to show running Amazon’s The Wheel of Time and the upcoming God of War series, Judkins has proven his talent time and again. Not to mention his co-writing credits on Sony’s Uncharted and the highly anticipated adaptation of The Division.

Then there’s Michael Lesslie, whose recent work includes co-writing The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Now You See Me 3. He’s no stranger to high-profile projects, having been in the running to showrun Warner Bros.’s upcoming Harry Potter television series as well.

Rachel Zegler in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Rachel Zegler in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

While it’s uncertain if there are additional contenders in the mix, the clock is ticking as a decision looms, reportedly expected to be made by Memorial Day weekend. As Marvel fans eagerly await this crucial decision, the suspense is through the roof for who will ultimately take the reins, this is indeed a vital moment for the MCU.

Fans Express Disappointment in Kevin Feige for Not Hiring the X-Men ’97 Writing Team

However, when fans heard the news, the reactions were not just mixed but largely negative. Many are now surprised and disappointed that Feige seemingly overlooked what the fans considered an obvious choice and that is the animated television series, X-Men ’97’s writing team.

X-Men united

A still from X-Men ’97

This beloved show has proven its merit by beautifully bringing the X-Men to the screen like never before. Fans are genuinely grateful for this rendition, and given its immense success, they find it perplexing why that team wasn’t considered for the MCU live-action movie adaptation.

Here is what the fans have to say about this situation,

While produced by Marvel Studios, X-Men ’97 isn’t part of the MCU, as revealed by the director Jake Castorena in an interview with ComicBook.com, “The X-Men show, the OG show, was the MCU before the MCU became ‘The MCU’ right? And, certain things that being a spiritual successor, a revival, that the show had ingrained in its DNA, we got to have that ingrained in our DNA too. Cameos were a big thing. The expansion of the MCU overall, of the characters, the side stories, the many derivatives of books that came out from the team, that’s all ingrained in the show.”

The animated show is now widely regarded as perfect, with glowing reviews further reflecting the audience’s thoughts on it. However, crafting a movie, especially one based on the X-Men, means there numerous variables that need to be considered, especially with such high expectations. Fans are eagerly awaiting further updates on the movie.