Kevin Feige Wants the MCU’s X-MEN to Start Fresh With a “Big Swing,” and That’s Exactly What It Needs
Marvel Studios is finally moving forward with its long-awaited X-Men movie, and qccording to screenwriter Lee Sung Jin, the plan is to build something entirely new for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Kevin Feige encouraging the creative team to take risks and rethink the iconic heroes from the ground up.
Lee recently opened up about the project in an interview with Deadline, revealing that Marvel isn’t boxing the filmmakers into a specific formula or forcing them to connect heavily to what came before.
In fact, he explained that his work on Thunderbolts actually came with more restrictions because it had to fit into an already established MCU storyline.
Lee said: "I'd say there were actually more parameters on Thunderbolts because it was plugging into an existing arc and existing characters, whereas with X-Men, Kevin [Feige] just wants to take a big swing and start anew, not be beholden to any of the movies that have come before."
That’s an interesting approach considering the MCU is about to feature several familiar mutant faces in Avengers: Doomsday. With actors from Fox’s original X-Men films confirmed to appear in the upcoming crossover event, many fans assumed Marvel was using that movie as a bridge into the MCU’s future mutant franchise.
Based on Lee’s comments, that may not be the case at all. Instead, it sounds like Feige and Marvel Studios are treating the upcoming X-Men film as a genuine fresh start.
The movie is being directed by Jake Schreier, who previously collaborated with Lee on Thunderbolts, and the pair are currently developing ideas alongside Marvel leadership. Lee explained:
"I’m such a big fan of that IP of the comics. My dad and I, every Saturday morning, used to watch the show on television, so to be able to look around this Marvel conference room and have every X-Men character on the board and be able to spitball and freestyle on, 'What about this person?'.
“It’s so emboldening, because you’re like, 'Oh, wow, this isn't going to be a safe movie. This is actually going to be a really exciting new take.'"
For longtime fans, that’s probably the most encouraging update yet. The X-Men mythology is packed with incredible characters, storylines, and teams that never received much attention in Fox’s films.
Starting from a clean slate gives Marvel the opportunity to explore corners of the mutant universe that audiences haven’t seen before while building a version that feels uniquely connected to the MCU.
It also raises some interesting questions about what happens in Avengers: Doomsday. If Marvel truly intends to “start anew,” there’s a good chance those legacy mutant appearances are more of a celebration of the previous era than a setup for the next one.
The events of Doomsday could very well serve as a farewell to those versions of the characters before Marvel introduces an entirely new generation of mutants.
Whatever form the film ultimately takes, it’s refreshing to hear that Marvel isn’t approaching X-Men as a nostalgia exercise. These characters have always represented change, evolution, and new perspectives. Giving filmmakers the freedom to take creative chances with the property feels like the right move.
The MCU’s X-Men movie currently doesn’t have a release date, but if Feige’s goal is to deliver a fresh and ambitious take on Marvel’s mutants, it sounds like the studio is aiming much higher than simply recreating what fans have already seen.