Marvel Studios is officially moving forward with anX-Menfilm, and the company is looking to recruit one of the hottest directors in town to usher in the mutant era of the MCU. The chosen candidate just so happens to be the filmmaker who deliveredthe most well-received Marvel filmin recent memory,Thunderbolts*, now titledThe New Avengers.
According to Deadline,Thunderboltsdirector Jake Schreier is in talks to direct anX-Menfilmfor Marvel Studios, based on a screenplay by Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). Marvel Studios is moving quickly to secure their most in-demand director afterThunderboltslit up Hollywood last week. The report does not reveal what stage negotiations are at regarding a deal, but it is said that Schreier has been turning down other offers as theX-Menproject looms. A recent meeting solidified Marvel’s interest in signing Schreier, although they were well aware of his passion for the X-Men beforehand. It’s unclear who else he beat out for the directing gig, but it’s safe to say the studio is keen on keeping Schreier in-house.
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Moving fromThunderbolts*toX-Menis almost too logical for Schreier, who has shown that he is more than capable of mixing a group of misfits and underrated MCU characters into a successful film. Of course, a deal must close before fans can get more excited, but it sounds like things are certainly headed in that direction. Details remain scarce on which X-Men characters Schreier and company will utilize, but Kevin Feige hasa 10-year plan in placethat will encapsulate the Mutant Saga. After Avengers: DoomsdayandSecret Warspresumably conclude the rocky Multiverse Saga, Marvel looks to freshen things up with the help of the mutant superhero team.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Is the Best Example of MCU’s New Focus on Quality
If it wasn’t clear already, Marvel Studios lovesThunderboltsand the early success the unconventional team-up film has had thus far. In a phase when it seems the MCU lacks consistency on the big screen,Thunderboltsis the jolt many fans needed. Disney CEO Bob Iger evengave the film a shout-outat an earnings call, praising Marvel for slowing things down and focusing on quality instead of quantity. His words:
“We all know that in our zeal to flood our streaming platform with more content, that we turned to all of our creative engines, including Marvel, and had them produce a lot more. 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. By consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, we believe that will result in better quality. I think the first and best example is Thunderbolts*. I feel very good about that.”
With Captain America: Brave New WorldandThunderbolts*in the rearview mirror, Marvel Studios looks to continue its hot streak withThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsthis summer. The long-awaited introduction of Marvel’s first family in the MCU hasalready been teased,and the main cast is currently reprising their respective roles on the set of the Russo Brothers’Avengers: Doomsday, which just began production.
Source:Deadline
