Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: X-Men

  • Kevin Feige Teases Marvel’s Post-‘Secret Wars’ Slate Which Runs Through 2032

    Kevin Feige Teases Marvel’s Post-‘Secret Wars’ Slate Which Runs Through 2032

    Marvel Studios won’t be making a splash by revealing its upcoming slate in Hall H during SDCC this weekend but that doesn’t mean the powers that be at the studio aren’t working hard on putting it together. As of now, the studio has only scheduled films through 2028, but as always, Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige is kicking the can quite a bit further down the road. “It’s traditionally a five-year plan,” he said. “I think it goes to 2032 right now.”

    With the studio looking to release between 1 to 3 films a year and having only officially commented on a few projects in the works (Black Panther 3, X-Men and the long-delayed Blade film), that leaves quite a few holes to fill on that new slate. Given the looming success of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a sequel to that film seems all but a sure thing and there are plenty of other projects that have either been rumored or known to be in development but, as of now, Feige would only offer up a tease of how the studio hopes to return to one of its greatest strengths.

    “We were talking about a structure of an upcoming post-‘Secret Wars’ movie that I won’t name,” he said during a recent press event. “But I will say, like Shang-Chi, [it’s] getting back to what genre haven’t we done and want to do and how could this movie be that genre? [We would] focus on a singular storyline by embracing a certain genre we haven’t seen in a while. [It’s] remembering what cinema is and what movie going is and what entertaining audiences is,” said the Marvel boss.

    While that’s about all he gave away in terms of teasing upcoming projects, Feige did reveal that the seven-year plan will see 2027’s Multiverse Saga finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, “reset” the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than reboot it.” “Reboot is a scary word,” said Marvel’s Big Cheese. “Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines.”

    According to Feige, resetting the MCU means recasting roles, some of which have been filled by beloved actors for more than a decade…or two. “X-Men is where that will happen next,” he revealed while talking about the studio’s upcoming film, which he confirmed will be helmed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier. However, the future won’t just feature new actors as Cyclops and Jean Grey; it will also include the studio eventually recasting the roles of Captain America, Iron Man and Black Panther, among others.

    They have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different and who feel Other and who feel like they don’t belong. That’s the universal story of mutants, and that is where we’re going.

    -Kevin Feige on Marvel Studios X-Men

    “Amy Pascal and David Heyman are now searching for a new James Bond,” said Feige of Sony’s efforts to relaunch the 007 franchise. “David [Corenswet], the new Superman — he was awesome. That will always be the case,” Feige said of seeing new names take over roles from previous stars. “I think it’s hard for anybody to do that when an actor has done such a great role,” he said of replacing actors such as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in iconic roles before adding. “How are they going to ever replace Sean Connery [as James Bond], right?“

    It’s interesting that Feige chose to sat down with reporters rather than attempt to thrill fans at SDCC; however, given the major changes to the plans the studio revealed at SDCC ’19 and SDCC ’22, the days of the major slate reveals may be behind Marvel Studios or, at the very least, they’ll be done in much smaller doses. For now, it’s clear that the bulk of the studio’s attention is being directed toward making sure Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars leave fans satiated with the Multiverse Saga before taking yet another step into the unknown in 2028.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Studios Reshapes Its 2028 Release Slate

    Marvel Studios Reshapes Its 2028 Release Slate

    Under Bob Iger’s second tenure as the head of Disney, the big Marvel machine was instructed to scale back its production efforts, prioritizing quality over quantity. “We’ve also learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality. And frankly, we’ve all admitted to ourselves that we lost a little focus by making too much,” Iger told investors in March. “By consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, we believe that will result in better quality.” As such, projects began to disappear from the release slate and the studio looked to schedule 2 or 3 films a year moving forward, starting in 2026. However, plans are always subject to change and it now looks as though Marvel may look to launch its next saga with a more aggressive approach.

    Disney has added a fourth Marvel Studios film to its 2028 release slate, reserving December 15th for an untitled film. Should the studio hold to the current plan, fans can also count on being in theaters on February 18th, May 5th and November 10th.

    Marvel has yet to officially announce any of its 2028 projects, though its X-Men reboot and a third Black Panther film are expected to land in theaters that year. In an interesting development, Variety reports that a sequel to this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is also in development and may be on track for a 2028 release. In addition, Thor, Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi sequels could be on the docket, as well as the studio’s long-awaited Blade reboot or the Midnight Sons ensemble film or Ryan Reynolds X-Men team up film. Whatever the case, it’s clear that the studio has options and may feel comfortable about moving forward with releasing four films because four good scripts have been turned in.

    Source: Variety

  • Ryan Reynolds’ New X-Team Reportedly Revealed…and It Includes the MCU’s Rumored Wolverine

    Ryan Reynolds’ New X-Team Reportedly Revealed…and It Includes the MCU’s Rumored Wolverine

    Earlier this month, THR broke the news that Ryan Reynolds was “quietly plotting his return” as Deadpool. While the star has made it clear that he believes another solo Deadpool film would be superfluous, it turns out he’s been working toward a script for an MCU-based ensemble film that would include “three or four X-Men characters.” Now, a new rumor from one of social media’s busiest news might have revealed exactly what Reynolds has in mind.

    According to My Time To Shine Hello, Reynolds has been writing a script for a potential MCU-set X-Force film that would feature his Deadpool teaming up with Josh Brolin‘s Cable, Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine and an all-new actor as Storm.

    If the new information is accurate, it meshes with a late-2024 report from Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, who claimed that Jackman was set to carry on as the MCU’s Wolverine in the studio’s upcoming Avengers films and beyond.

    Like nearly every team in the pages of Marvel Comics, the roster of X-Force has been a revolving door since the team first appeared in 1991. Founded by Cable, X-Force often takes a more proactive, militaristic, and covert approach to dealing with threats to mutantkind, often involving missions that the mainstream X-Men would deem too morally ambiguous or violent. While the X-Men typically strive to protect and integrate mutants peacefully, X-Force is essentially the “black ops” arm of the mutant world.

    Introducing multiple X-teams is a must for Marvel Studios as it launches Kevin Feige‘s reported 10-year plan for the massive roster of characters obtained when Disney purchased 21st Century Fox in 2019. By reuniting Reynolds and Jackman, who drove Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all-time, and bringing back Brolin, who certainly made a compelling case to continue on as the Askani’son, whole also introducing a new actress as Storm, the studio would certainly be putting its best foot forward its efforts to provide the new Saga with a strong foundation.

    Sources: THR

  • ‘Scream’ Franchise Star Rumored to Be Joining the MCU in Major Mutant Role

    ‘Scream’ Franchise Star Rumored to Be Joining the MCU in Major Mutant Role

    Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past stands as one of the studio’s strongest efforts in brining Marvel’s mutant heroes to the big screen, merging the talent from the original films with the First Class stars in a surprisingly satisfying film. Though the continuity reset provided by the film was largely ignored by Fox in its subsequent films, it’s possible it opened up the perfect avenue for Marvel Studios to work the OG big screen X-Men into the MCU.

    When Logan returns to his new present day, he finds that all the friends he’d lost along the way are alive and well in the new timeline. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, that timeline may well be the one in which Monica Rambeau found herself stranded following the events of The Marvels. If that’s the case, it’s clear much has changed there as Lashana Lynch‘s Binary is see hanging out with Beast. Whatever the case, a significant amount of time has passed since Logan’s return which means that in that universe, the X-Men have had time to add and subtract from their roster of heroes. Now, a new rumor suggests an X-Man never before seen on the big screen maybe joining their ranks.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Scream franchise star Neve Campbell has been cast as Lorna Dane, the mutant known as Polaris.

    The daughter of Magneto, Polaris has been an X-Man and a member of X-Factor and would make for a very interesting addition to the mix given she has often drifted into some dark places over the years.

    While some outlets are assuming Campbell has been cast for Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot, it seems far more likely at this point that, if the rumor is accurate, she has been cast for Avengers: Doomsday. With production already underway on Doomsday and most of Fox’s original X-Men cast reprising their roles in the project, an older Polaris (Campbell is 51 years old) seems a better fit in that universe than one created from scratch by Marvel for their reboot.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Keen on Casting ‘Avatar’ Franchise Star in Key ‘X-Men’ Role

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Keen on Casting ‘Avatar’ Franchise Star in Key ‘X-Men’ Role

    The House of Mouse has always liked to work in-house, often sharing talent across its major studios. Paul Bettany, Oscar Isaac, Samuel L. Jackson and Mads Mikkelsen, Lupitia Nyong’o are among those who have starred in both the Star Wars and Marvel franchises; Jon Favreau has directed projects for three of Disney’s major production studios; and…Pedro Pascal.

    Reinforcing that trend, following a very successful opening for Thunderbolts*, Marvel quickly worked to get that film’s director, Jake Schreier, back in the chair for their currently untitled and undated X-Men reboot, which is arguably the studio’s most important project since 2008’s Iron Man. Now, a new rumor suggests that Marvel will be reaching across the aisle to borrow a star from 21st Century Fox’s Avatar franchise.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, the young star who plays Tuk in James Cameron‘s Avatar films, is being considered for the role of Jubilee in Marvel Studios’ X-Men.

    A central character in X-Men: The Animated Series and Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, Jubilation Lee never made it out of the background in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy. However, Kevin Feige has reportedly been keen on including the character in the MCU reboot and, over a year ago, she was been reported to be part of the upcoming film’s core cast.

    With Schreier boarding the project now, it’s likely the studio is looking to get production underway next summer, allowing X-Men to hit theaters in July 2027, launching the studio’s post-Multiverse Saga era.

  • Jake Schreier to Direct X-Men Movie for Marvel

    Jake Schreier to Direct X-Men Movie for Marvel

    Marvel Studios has set a familiar director to helm its forthcoming X-Men movie. Deadline announced on Thursday that Thunderbolts* director, Jake Schreier, is in talks to direct the upcoming X-Men movie for Marvel Studios. This comes after Thunderbolts* has been received well among both fans and critics alike. Talks appear to be early still, however, Schreier met with Marvel Studios last week regarding the project and appears to be the frontrunner for the movie. Should he officially sign on, he would be directing the movie from a script by Michael Lesslie.

    Per Deadline, Marvel has been keen to find the right director for its first X-Men movie, as the studio doesn’t want to rush the project. The studio has reportedly been meeting with potential directors for months, however, it was the positive response to Thunderbolts* that truly made Schreier stand out as the top choice. Schreier is said to be a big fan of the X-Men comics, and that made him stand out further, as the studio had successfully launched Thunderbolts* with the in-demand director. With Schreier said to be turning down potential directing gigs, it seems likely he’ll officially sign on for X-Men. For now, fans can at least be excited knowing the studio is moving ahead with its first X-Men movie.

    As of now, the only other X-Men movie said to be in development at Marvel Studios is an X-Men and Deadpool movie from Deadpool star, Ryan Reynolds. That project, however, is not guaranteed to come to fruition and is simply in development as of now.

    Source: Deadline

  • 3 Under the Radar Possibilities for Sadie Sink’s Mysterious Role in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    3 Under the Radar Possibilities for Sadie Sink’s Mysterious Role in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will co-star with MCU vet Tom Holland in Spider-Man 4 in what’s only been described to this point as a large role. Previously rumored to be a front-runner for the role of Omega mutant and original X-Men Jean Grey, the identity of Sink‘s character has generated a lot of conversation online though it remains unknown. With that in mind, we’re jumping into the conversation, adding a few dark horse candidates for the young ginger star’s MCU alter ego.

    Given that the new Spider-Man film will follow Avengers: Doomsday, there’s no telling just yet what the project’s setting might be, so ruling out any one particular character on the grounds of a “why would they be there?” argument is nonsensical at this point. In a collapsing Multiverse, all bets are off.

    Firestar

    Insider Jeff “The In” Sneider’s late 2024 report that Sink was leading a pack of actresses for the part of Marvel Studios’ Jean Grey seems to still be carrying a lot of weight in the current conversation about Sink’s Spidey 4 role. On one hand, we’ve heard on more than one occasion that the studio wants to introduce its own variants of the mutant heroes into the MCU before the X-Men film hits in (probably) 2027, so Grey makes a lot of sense for Sink; on the other hand, another red headed mutant has a much richer history with the Web-Slinger.

    When rights issues blocked the use of Johnny Storm in 1981’s for NBC’s animated Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar was created to be the fire to Bobby Drake’s ice. In 1985, the character was written into the mainstream Marvel Comics continuity where she has been an X-Man, New Warrior and Avenger. As much as folksight want to write the character off as a random Z-lister, remember a whole generation of kids–the generation that includes director Destin Daniel Cretton–grew up believing Firestar was pretty amazing. And, in some ways, it might be easier for a non-major member of the X-Men to be introduced as native to Earth-616 than for Jean Grey to suddenly appear.

    Hope Summers

    If one host of the Phoenix is possible, why not another? Raised in the future by Cable, Hope Summers, the Mutant Messiah, is as powerful of an Omega-Level mutant as has ever existed and one of the most important X-Men characters created this century.

    Hope was never even close to fully utilized by Fox, only having briefly appeared in Deadpool 2 and Marvel could tap into her role as the mutant savior by throwing her into the mix as the Multiverse (likely) collapses and is then remade. Spidey has long been a mutant ally, so it wouldn’t be out of place for him to work with Hope to solve whatever is going on after the events of Avengers: Doomsday.

    Rachel Summers

    Of all the possibilities here, I actually like this one the best. Rachel Summers stands out among potential choices because of her identity as a Multiversal anomaly: across all timelines, there is only one Rachel Summers. Though not Omega-Level like her mother, Jean Grey, Rachel is a powerful telepath who has also demonstrated the ability to control time and travel to other realities.

    While it may be a bit of a stretch, it’s important to remember that actions have consequences so when Monica Rambeau found herself stuck in whatever reality she ended up in during the third act of The Marvels, a response is due. With the Multiverse in jeopardy, it’s possible an older Rachel Summers, complete with her Hound skills intact, could be sent to explore things in Monica’s home universe where she meets up with Peter Parker.

  • Third Time’s a Charm: Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering ‘Babygirl’ Star for Major X-Men Role

    Third Time’s a Charm: Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering ‘Babygirl’ Star for Major X-Men Role

    With a script by Michael Lesslie in the works, an all-new take on Marvel’s mutant heroes, the X-Men, is just around the corner. With confirmation from the Marvel Studios Head Honcho, Kevin Feige, the “the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men,” the clock is truly ticking on the arrival of the popular heroes, who could lead their own MCU film as soon as 2027.

    While there’s been no date set aside for an X-Men film just yet, Feige’s comments combined with rumblings from various insiders about potential castings have fueled hope that key members of the team may make their MCU debuts ahead of the ensemble film. Over the past two months, rumors and reports have indicated that the studio is looking to cast the roles of Kitty Pryde and Gambit and that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has emerged as a front runner for the role of Jean Grey/Marvel Girl. Now, a new rumor from a familiar source reveals another young star who is on Marvel’s radar to play one of the X-Men’s most well-known characters.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Babygirl star Harris Dickinson is among those being a considered for the role of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops.

    Even as he shared the rumors, Sneider was careful to point out that his information should be taken with a grain of salt and that Dickinson was in no way locked into the role. In that sense, perhaps the most important take away then isn’t Dickinson’s name but rather his age and relative notoriety. While the actor is a talented up and comer, he’s hardly a household name just yet, suggesting the studio will be searching for such actors to fill out its roster of X-Men.

    Whether it’s Dickinson or another young star in the role, X-Men fans will cling to hope that the next iteration of Cyclops is not done as dirty as James Marsden and Tye Sheridan‘s versions were by Fox. Since the earliest days of the team’s comic book adventures, Cyclops has been a central and often controversial character. Here’s hoping that Lesslie‘s script draws influence from the comics and not Fox’s poor choices with the character.

    Source: The Hot Mic Podcast

  • New Rumor Suggests Casting Is Underway for Two Key Members of Marvel Studios’ All-New X-Men

    New Rumor Suggests Casting Is Underway for Two Key Members of Marvel Studios’ All-New X-Men

    As the sixth anniversary of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox approaches, Marvel Studios has done very little with the treasure trove of live-action rights that fell to them in the merger. While Deadpool & Wolverine was a box office success for the company and Hugh Jackman‘s return as the best their is at what he does was a wonderful treat, it’s safe to say that Wade Wilson was well down the list of characters MCU fans were anticipating to appear.

    That’s all about to change, of course, as Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four, will make their MCU debut this summer. And then, there’ the X-Men. Though mutants have been sparsely sprinkled into several projects over the past few years, fans are craving an all-new take on Marvel’s Children of the Atom and things are indeed gathering some Juggernaut-ish momentum on that front.

    Last spring, Michael Lesslie was tasked with scripting Marvel Studios’ first X-Men film. While Kevin Feige has yet to publicly reveal too much about the film, he has made it clear that even though “some X-Men players that you might recognize” will appear before the end of the Multiverse Saga, the mutant heroes won’t take center stage until after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men.

    Kevin Feige

    However, an infinite multiverse allows for infinite storytelling possibilities, including the introduction of a few major muties before they move into the spotlight. Rumors have made the rounds that Lesslie’s script focuses on an X-team that closely resembles the roster of heroes from Marvel Animation’s very popular and successful X-Men ’97. As expected, original X-Man Jean Grey would be among those characters and recent reports indicated that Marvel is already looking at actresses to fill that role. Now, a new rumor from a trusted Marvel insider claims that Marvel is also looking to fill the role of another X-Men ’97 star in addition to one of Feige’s favorite characters.

    According to Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has begun the process of casting for the roles of Remy LeBeau and Kitty Pryde.

    The news is consistent with an earlier report from Richtman in which he claimed Gambit and Shadowcat were the leads in an early draft of Lesslie’s script. The news that the studio is looking for a new actor to portray Gambit will certainly be disappointing to fans of Channing Tatum‘s version of the character seen in Deadpool & Wolverine; however, there’s always hope that Tatum will be one of those recognizeable X-Men players teased by Feige.

    Since it’s still in the scripting stages, Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot hasn’t been placed on Disney’s release calendar; however, with a trio of films set for 2028, it’s beginning to look increasingly likely that the X-Men will indeed make it into the MCU within a decade of the Fox merger.

  • ‘Nosferstu’ Star Rumored to Be Up for a Second MCU Role

    ‘Nosferstu’ Star Rumored to Be Up for a Second MCU Role

    Don’t call it typecasting but Bill Skarsgård continues to land villainous roles and deliver his best performances. Whether as Pennywise, Marquis de Gramont or, most recently, Count Orlolk, Skarsgård inhabits sinister roles in a way few have been able to do consistently.

    You’ll be forgiven if you don’t recall that Skarsgård also played a (sort of) big bad in a Marvel Studios films, having voiced the Deviant leader, Kro, in 2021’s Eternals. While the actor recently generated some buzz after expressing his opinion of his ability to pull of a “pretty cool Joker” in Andy Muschetti‘s The Brave and the Bold, a new rumor suggests he may be in line for another turn in a new MCU role.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, “Marvel Studios is interested in Bill Skarsgård for a new MCU role. Not his Eternals role.”

    While that’s all the scooper had to share, with Marvel Studios finally turning its attention to the X-Men and Mister Sinister strongly rumored to be an ongoing antagonist, it’s easy to imagine Skarsgård becoming the fabulous supervillain.

    Of course there are plenty of other roles, both heroic and villainous, that Skarsgård might fill as well (The Beyonder comes to mind) and it must be remembered that this is simply a rumor. However, with the mutant movement underway and the studio potentially looking to introduce at least one key member of the X-Men before the end of the Multiverse Saga, it’s believable enough that the Marvel Parliament may also consider introducing a major new villain as well.

    Source: My Time To Shine Hello