Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige confirmed that the upcoming “X-Men,” the company’s introduction of the mutant superhero team in the MCU, will be made up of mutants who “feel like they don’t belong” in the upcoming reboot.
“I don’t want to talk too much about ‘X-Men,’ because that’s still a ways away,” Feige told TheWrap alongside a small group of reporters on Friday. “But you look at what the X-Men comics have always been, and they have been young, and 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.”
Feige added: “that’s the universal story of mutants, and that is sort of where we’re going.”
“The New Avengers” director Jake Schreier is set to helm “X-Men.” “Hunger Games” writer Michael Lesslie wrote the screenplay.
The “X-Men” film franchise began in 2000 with “X-Men,” directed by Bryan Singer. This first film introduced audiences to the concept of mutants – humans born with genetic superpowers – and focused on the leader of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier, and the metal-clawed Logan/Wolverine, as they attempt to make peace with their rival Magneto. It was praised for its serious, character-driven take on the superhero genre.
In total, the series has grossed over $6 billion worldwide over nearly 20 years and at least 10 films. Once considered B-list superheroes, the X-Men franchise paved the way for comic book and superhero blockbusters to be taken more seriously by critics and audiences. The themes of diversity, identity and “otherness” in the films also connected deeply with many viewers.
