Marvel: the future MCU X-Men film has found its screenwriter

When Disney bought the 20th Century Fox studio in 2019, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse obtained the rights to the superhero franchise X-Men. The time has now come for Marvel Studios to put together its first film about these famous mutants since this acquisition. And the project is moving forward because it now has a screenwriter: Michael Lesslie.

The X-Men in the MCU

Lesslie previously wrote Hunger Games: The Ballad of the Serpent and the Songbird, Assassin’s Creed and is currently co-writer of the third installment of the film series Elusive.

As the screenwriter is currently in full negotiation with Marvel to sign the next X-Men, the development of the future film is still in its infancy. Apart from the fact that, as usual, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige will be in production, the feature film currently has no director, no casting, no theatrical release date.

Given the immense popularity of the series X-Men ’97 on Disney+, it is not surprising to see Marvel redouble its efforts to start work on a new film about the famous mutants. This animated series, a sequel to the cult program from the 1990s, was indeed very well received by both the public and critics, reminding the studio how precious these characters are in its arsenal.

The X-Men have not been the subject of a feature film since 2019 and the film X-Men: Dark Phoenix, which disappointed the spectators. Their time at 20th Century Fox, however, was very fruitful for the studio which produced, between 2000 and 2019, seven films X-Men and three spin-offs centered on the character of Wolverine, having grossed more than six billion dollars at the worldwide box office.

Since the takeover by Disney, Charles Xavier and his cronies have only appeared briefly in the MCU. Patrick Stewart, for example, took over the role of Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, while Kelsey Grammer appeared as Fauve in the post-credits sequence of The Marvels in 2023.

With the arrival of Deadpool & Wolverine in theaters next July, Marvel is preparing to truly mix the Fox X-Men universe with its MCU, through the multiverse. There is no doubt that this film, in which Hugh Jackman reprises the role of Wolverine, will further revive public interest in a real return to the big screen of Marvel mutants.

Waiting to find out more about the next one X-Menthe other films in the franchise are available on the Disney+ streaming platform.