A Thunderous New Name Is In Talks To Direct An MCU X-Men Movie

Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* has been dominating the box office. Following its successful premiere, the filmmaker seems likely to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in another huge project.

Marvel Studios has already laid the groundwork for introducing X-Men into the MCU. For instance, it already featured Patrick Stewart’s Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022. Additionally, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast appeared in The Marvels. Another notable introduction of the mutants is bringing them into the anticipated MCU tentpole, Avengers: Doomsday. Several actors from Fox’s original X-Men films are joining the next Avengers movie, including Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), James Marsden (Cyclops), Stewart and Grammer.

There has been no major announcement about the official X-Men movie in the MCU. However, it might have just found its director. Sources told Deadline that Marvel Studios is eyeing Schreier to helm one of its biggest projects — the new X-Men film. The outlet, however, noted that there are no concrete details about the deal. Insiders claimed Schreier had a meeting with Marvel in the past week about the project. Michael Lesslie, who penned The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Assassin’s Creed, is writing the script for X-Men, while Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is producing. The insiders added that even before the release of Thunderbolts* and its positive reviews, several studios were reaching out to Schreier to work with him. However, the filmmaker was reportedly turning down the offers, suggesting that he probably had another project on the way, likely with Marvel.

Jake Schreier’s Handling Of Team Dynamics In Thunderbolts* Makes Him A Great Choice For An X-Men Movie

Marvel Studios’ choice to work with Schreier for X-Men is not surprising, since they have a great working relationship. Thunderbolts* performance at the box office also makes the director an appealing choice for the project. Feige has been teasing the X-Men’s arrival in the MCU seemingly forever now. At the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore in November 2024, the Marvel Studios President said Avengers: Secret Wars will lead into the “new age of mutants and of the X-Men.”

It appears that the MCU’s plan for X-Men is a multi-phase integration. They are bringing back a heaping helping of legacy characters from the Fox era. Stewart’s Professor X in Doctor Strange 2, Grammer’s Beast in The Marvels, and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine are multiverse-based appearances. It’s clear that the MCU is honoring the past, but it will likely introduce new and younger actors to establish the mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Casting new actors is best for long-term storytelling and makes the team more relatable to newer and younger MCU audiences.

Schreier could take on the director’s chair for X-Men because he has the experience and expertise. He is known for emotionally grounded and character-first storytelling in the 2012 sci-fi drama Robot & Frank and the 2015 coming-of-age film Paper Towns. These themes are perfect for mutants grappling with identity and a power crisis in X-Men. Also, his experience with an ensemble cast, in the case of Thunderbolts*, is unquestionably amazing. Schreier is great at directing a team and balancing multiple character arcs with emotional clarity, which is essential when working on X-Men, which (almost always) involves multiple leads.

MCU’s X-Men is expected to be released in 2027.

More

‘We’re At The End’ Ryan Reynolds On Deadpool’s Future Joining The Avengers Or X-Men

Ryan Reynolds said Deadpool wished to join the Avengers and X-Men, but they should not give him what he wants.

Source: Deadline