Anticipation is high for the MCU’s X-Men movie reboot, but details are still scarce about when the movie will be released and what it will be about.
With a long-awaited X-Men movie in the works for the MCU, here’s everything that has been confirmed about the tent-pole superhero team. Movie rights to the X-Men initially belonged to 20th Century Fox – beginning with Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000) and ending with The New Mutants (2020). The 20-year-long X-Men franchise produced some incredible films and some disappointing ones, but the mutants are now back home at Marvel following Disney’s acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets.
Though the deal went through way back in 2019, Marvel Studios hasn’t been in a hurry to introduce the X-Men. Several mutants have popped up in various MCU movies and TV shows, but the X-Men haven’t been named yet. However, as the pieces slowly fall into place, it seems as though Marvel Studios’ X-Men plans are slowly starting to come into focus.
Marvel’s X-Men Latest News
It has been reported (via Deadline) that, post-WGA strikes, the process of finding writers to work on the script for the MCU X-Men movie is now set in motion, with pitch meetings set for Fall 2023. No information has been revealed about a writer or how fielding pitches went, but it’s likely that the process is moving forward behind the scenes. With the X-Men getting a strong tease in The Marvels, it seems like more solid news about their debut film may not be terribly far away.
Marvel Studios writer Jeff Loveness previously claimed that the X-Men wouldn’t be in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, Loveness has reportedly left the project (and has not yet been replaced), so it’s unclear if that will remain true. However, Deadpool 3 seems set to potentially clarify the X-Men’s role in the MCU. The movie will feature several characters from Fox’s X-Men universe, though it’s unclear if they’ll stick around in the MCU or if the cinematic universe’s team will have a completely different origin.
Marvel’s X-Men Confirmed
Despite several MCU Easter eggs and hints pointing at the X-Men, Kevin Feige has remained coy about when and how the X-Men will be introduced to the MCU. It’s confirmed that the X-Men will indeed have their day in the MCU, but when that happens is still unclear. Professor X and Beast have already had cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels, respectively, but it’s unclear how, or if, those appearances will relate to the X-Men’s first solo MCU movie.
Marvel’s X-Men Release Date
No release date has been announced for Marvel’s X-Men, but it’s hard to to tell if the movie will land sometime in the MCU Phase 6 or if it’ll be held off on until after Avengers: Secret Wars and drop in Phase 7. Marvel Studios still has a few reserved release dates in the MCU Phase 6 without announced projects, so it’s possible one could be an X-Men movie. However, given how early in the creative process the movie reportedly is, it seems unlikely it’ll come together in time for Phase 6’s ending in 2026.
Marvel’s X-Men Cast
There is very little information about which characters will star in the MCU’s X-Men movie or who will play them. With Deadpool & Wolverine bringing the titular heroes into the MCU, one or both will stick around full-time in their new cinematic universe. Moreover, Kelsey Grammar’s Beast was shown at the end of The Marvels. However, given that his cameo is in “another reality,” it’s unclear if he’ll find his way to the mainline MCU. Moreover, Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel is a mutant in the MCU, but she seems set to lead the Young Avengers for now.
Marvel’s X-Men Story Details
There have been no story details released for the upcoming Marvel X-Men movie, but one big narrative obstacle the MCU has to hurdle is how to introduce where the X-Men have been before their introduction. Given the X-Men consist of a mix of younger and older heroes, it seems unlikely that the X-Men will be newly formed from within the MCU’s Earth-616. However, given the opportunities afforded by the Multiverse Saga, the X-Men could come from another reality where they’re already established.
Given the opportunities afforded by the Multiverse Saga, the X-Men could come from another reality where they’re already established.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established precedence for superhero teams in other realities, showcasing the Illimunati (which, coincidentally, included Professor X among its members). However, Monica Rambeau being stuck in another reality with Beast, a superpowered variant of her mother, and a named-but-not-seen Professor X seems like the most likely hook for where the X-Men’s MCU story may start off.
How The MCU Has Set Up The X-Men
There have been hints and clues sprinkled throughout the MCU hinting at the X-Men. Thanks to the Ms. Marvel television series, mutants have officially been confirmed in the MCU. In the finale, Ms. Marvel realizes that the cause of her powers is because of a mutation (a reveal accompanied by the X-Men: The Animated Series theme song). Namor is also a well-established mutant currently in the mainline MCU. As mentioned above, Professor X and Beast have also appeared, though the former is killed by the Scarlet Witch, and the latter is currently in another reality.
Deadpool & Wolverine seems positioned to set up the MCU’s X-Men more directly. The movie looks to be officially ending the Fox Marvel movie timeline, and the two titular characters’ introduction to the MCU may bring other X-Men alone, too. However, though nothing is confirmed, it seems likely that the MCU’s X-Men team will be new and not a continuation of the Fox universe.
X-Men ’97 , the sequel to 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series , is Marvel Studios’ first X-Men project. However, the animated Disney+ series is not canon to the MCU.
Every X-Men Character Already In The MCU
