Kevin Feige and Bob Iger Are Reportedly Clashing Over the Direction of the X-MEN Reboot
There’s a new rumor making the rounds that suggests there may be some serious creative friction behind the scenes at Marvel Studios, specifically when it comes to the highly anticipated X-Men reboot.
According to scooper @mainmiddleman (who is a newcomer in the scoop world), Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger may not see eye-to-eye on what kind of X-Men movie the MCU needs right now.
The supposed disagreement involves the film’s tone and scope. According to the claim, Feige wants the X-Men to return in a grounded, character-driven film that explores deeper themes. Something more in line with the franchise’s roots in social commentary and civil rights allegory. The scooper shared the following:
“[Kevin] Feige wanted a more grounded X-Men story with a plot that really focused on social issues and disagreements about what it means to be a mutant. He wanted a powerful dramatic movie that really showed what the X-Men were all about, with the Brotherhood of Mutants as the bad guys.”
But that reportedly doesn’t align with what Iger and the top brass at Disney are after. With a string of recent MCU films underperforming like Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, the alleged push is for something bigger, louder, and less introspective. The scooper continues:
“But that's not what Iger and Disney want. Aware of the poor performance of more restrained films (especially the disappointing box office results, like [Captain America: Brave New World] and Thunderbolts recently) the script has been requested to focus on [a] great event film to get a wider audience attention.”
So, what does that mean for the movie? If this rumor is to be believed, we’re looking at a shift in direction with somthing more spectacle, more action, more “fan service,” and less emphasis on ideological struggles.
“So, expect [the] MCU's first X-Men movie [to be] huge on events, focusing [on] the Box Office, with more action and fan services. Ideological issues will carry on, but they will be less important than dealing with something bigger.”
Now, it’s important to be clear: none of this has been confirmed by Marvel or Disney, and the source isn’t one with a long-established track record. So, take it with a healthy dose of skepticism.
That said, given the studio’s recent course corrections and its current need to reignite audience excitement, the tension, real or rumored, wouldn’t be totally surprising.
One of the rad flags regarding this rumor is that Iger has praised the quality of Thunderbolts*, saying it’s Marvel’s “first and best” example of its new film focus. He said:
“We’ve also learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality. 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 it will result in better quality. I think the first and best example of that is Thunderbolts*.”
So, I’m not sure Iger has an issue with the direction Marvel Studios is going. But, I guess we’ll eventually find out!
Whatever the final version looks like, fans are undoubtedly hoping Marvel finds a way to balance spectacle with the soul that made the X-Men so compelling in the first place.
It’s looking like the movie will be like directed Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier from a script written by Michael Lesslie.