The X-Men have finally come back home to the MCU after the acquisition of Fox Studios by Disney. The characters will be making their official MCU debut with the upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine, which sees Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and a whole bunch of other actors crossing over to the franchise.
The MCU has also reportedly begun work on making an X-Men film. An industry insider recently reported that the studio was looking for writers who could balance comedy and drama. The report also mentioned that the new films would focus more on the female mutants. While previous female-centered Marvel films have not worked for the franchise, it might just be the best foot forward with the X-Men.
Marvel’s Live-Action X-Men To Focus More On Female Mutants
The X-Men films by Fox Studios have had an enduring legacy. The franchise began with Bryan Singer’s X-Men in 2000 and continued till 2019’s Dark Phoenix when the franchise finally ended. Some of the initial films of the franchise, which pre-dated the MCU, were often considered to have changed the way superhero films were seen by studios and fans.
After Disney acquired Fox Studios in 2019, the X-Men were incorporated into the MCU with the first mention of mutants being done in Ms. Marvel. The first official appearance of the X-Men is set to happen with the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, which sees Hugh Jackman returning to the role of Logan after six years.
According to an industry insider, Marvel has also reportedly begun developing its X-Men reboot. Noted scooper Daniel Richtman (via Patreon) revealed that Marvel was looking for writers who could come on board and develop the project for the studio. The report mentioned that the studio wanted to introduce new X-Men characters that were never seen in live-action.
The report also mentioned that Marvel wanted the new X-Men film to focus more on female mutants. The MCU has tried to diversify its films over the past few years and has made it a point to have representation of minority groups in films such as The Marvels and Eternals, and Disney Plus shows such as Echo and Ms. Marvel.
Focusing On Female Mutants May Be Good For The MCU
The MCU has not had a good track record of having a female-led film or series at being successful. Though the Brie Larson starrer Captain Marvel earned $1.13 billion, its sequel, The Marvels, was a box office bomb and was reportedly the lowest-grossing film of the MCU (via Variety). Other films and series such as Eternals and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which had a female protagonist did not garner as many views and box office collections.
As news broke out that Marvel wanted their X-Men reboot to focus more on female mutants, many fans seemed to be enraged. Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment at both the rumored comedic treatment of the films and the focus on female mutants. However, some were also for the idea as X-Men had boasted of a powerful roster of female superheroes.
Kinda wish they wouldn’t share these things it’s just ammunition for haters- -oh no not MCU comedy
— NJCaliboy (@GymFigTenFan) April 29, 2024
-oh no M-She-U
-woke
And all the other nonsense…
X-men has the most badass women in all of comics and if u balance humor with drama (like 97 does w/Morph) this can work.
Marvels most iconic Mutants are women, and still people are complaining 🤦♀️
— Green (@adamminigreen) April 29, 2024
Im happy with this, but I still would like them to give Cyclops his spotlight
— Judai Dumas (@DumasJudai) April 29, 2024
Introduce Marrow and Boom Boom. They are both cool. pic.twitter.com/rGCVuVVtNh
— Steven Gino (@Gino4Steven) April 29, 2024
If you play your cards right… It might Work!
— Mr.Wordsmith-1991 (@dcnfs300) April 29, 2024
The X-Men have always been centered the minority groups and have been about the struggles and obstacles they face in society. The concept of mutants has been likened to the struggle for identity in society by the LGBTQIA+ community. Many characters such as Storm, Rogue, and Jean Grey have extremely powerful backstories that make them amazing characters.
The characters have been recently depicted to perfection in the Disney+ animated series X-Men ‘97. Rogue and Jean Grey, along with other female mutants such as Emma Frost, Jubilee, and Storm, have had powerful arcs in the show. While the MCU has not had a good history with the material, a good writer could do wonders with the concept if they follow the route taken by the animated series.
