Marvel Studios’ X-Men movie reboot is slowly taking shape. Though the film is still in early development, news emerged in May that Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes scribe Michael Lesslie was in talks to write the revival. It looks like it will soon have a director after Marvel Studios reportedly met with the Get Out helmer Jordan Peele.
Insider Jeff Sneider first broke the news of Peele’s meeting with Marvel Studios about working on a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie in his newsletter. Sneider didn’t reveal the film’s specifics, but he later said in a post on X that he would reveal what MCU film the director might work on if he got 100 new subscribers.
But in the latest episode of The Hot Mic podcast, Sneider revealed that the meeting was about the upcoming X-Men reboot. However, he wasn’t sure if Peele would be the movie’s director or writer. But given that Lesslie would reportedly write the film, Peele would likely helm it.
“I don’t know whether he’s discussing writing, directing the film,” he said. “But you know, the idea would be, ‘Hey, if you want to write this… we may let you direct it.’”
Sneider later hinted that things didn’t work out between the two. However, he teased that things might still work out after he stressed that Peele is an X-Men fan and Marvel Studios is making an X-Men movie. He then suggested that if Lesslie ended up penning a good script for the reboot, Peele might still direct it.
“Depending on timing, I don't know what's going on with his movie. No one does,” he admitted. “I don’t know what is happening.”
But if Sneider would guess, Peele was likelier to helm the X-Men reboot than Ryan Cougler, who was also rumored to direct the film. By the looks of it, a deal still needs to be done, and Marvel Studios is still looking for a deserving director for the X-Men reboot.
Will the X-Men appear in the MCU?
Marvel Studios is now preparing for the X-Men’s appearance in the MCU. The X-Men reboot is now in development, and the studio is starting to look for writers after the WGA strikes ended in September 2023. However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige remains mum when this group of mutants will be finally introduced in the Multiverse.
Despite that, it’s good to note that the franchise has been dropping Easter eggs, which appear to be a preparation for their much-awaited introduction. Professor X and Beast make cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels, though it remains to be seen if their appearances will connect to the X-Men’s first solo MCU movie.
There’s also little information on which X-Men characters will lead the film. Deadpool & Wolverine will officially bring the titular characters into the MCU, and they may stick around to continue their journey in the Multiverse. The threequel will also feature several characters from Fox’s X-Men universe, but it’s still unclear what their role will be in the MCU.
The upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine is posed to set the stage for the X-Men’s arrival in the MCU. As it will seem to end the timeline of Fox’s X-Men movies, the MCU may introduce a new X-Men team, or the original X-Men will come from another reality where they’re already established with the Multiverse Saga happening.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to hit the big screen on July 26, 2024.
