The X-Men have been referenced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe on more than a few occasions in recent years. However, Charles Xavier and his band of mutants have yet to take center stage in their own film set within the continuity. That’ll eventually change, though, as there are apparently big plans for the beloved characters. Marvel Studios’ upcoming flick centered around the mutants has already garnered some attention from filmmakers, including Deadpool director Tim Miller, who’s apparently already reached out to Kevin Feige.
Back 2016, when Tim Miller – along with Ryan Reynolds and so many more hard-working creatives – gifted the world Deadpool, they effectively brought the Merc with a Mouth to life. Miller definitely made an impression on the superhero genre with that film, though I also love how enthusiastic is when it comes to the MCU’s X-Men movie. In addition to sharing his hype with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller also explained how he was able to shoot his shot for the highly anticipated production:
I think that Marvel has this secret weapon they haven’t been able to unveil yet, which is the whole X-Men universe — which is what got me into comics. The X-Men are my favorite characters. I wrote [Marvel boss] Kevin Feige, and I’m like, ‘If there was ever anything that you would let me do in the Marvel Universe, please, the X-Men would be it.’
The notion of Tim Miller getting the opportunity to direct a movie starring Marvel’s famous mutants is exciting to me. Yes, some may bring up the fact that he also helmed the panned 2019 legacy sequel Terminator: Dark Fate. However, his work on Deadpool shows he has a keen understanding of comic book thrills and, given his work as a visual effects artist, he could surely dream up some incredible sequences for his film.
Of course, Wade Wilson’s adventures are a lot more bombastic (and violent) than those of Professor X and co. Yet Tim Miller’s work as creator and EP on the animated anthology series Love, Death & Robots makes me confident that he can help develop layered stories for the characters. Miller’s also one who doesn’t mind taking chances when it comes to storytelling and, as he told THR he was working on a wild-sounding spinoff of the X-Men films (which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription), before the Fox merger:
I had an X-Men movie in development at Fox when the merger happened, which would have been awesome. [It was based on] X-Men 143, which was Home Alone meets Alien.
Slowly but surely, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige has been sharing more details about when the X-Men are joining the MCU in earnest. In November 2024, Feige hinted that the characters would indeed become power players before the end of the Multiverse Saga. That proved to be true as, in March, it was confirmed that multiple mutant characters would play roles in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Notably, though, these seem to be variants of the characters introduced in the OG films and not newer incarnations.
It’s hard to say when newer variants of the X-Men played by a fresh cast will appear in the MCU, but I’m excited to see it happen. Clearly, Tim Miller is as well, considering the fact that he reached out to Kevin Feige. Reports have suggested that Thunderbolts* helmer Jake Schreier is being eyed for the job, but at the very least, I hope Miller receives consideration. In the meantime, it’s fun to imagine what lies ahead movie-wise for one of the most beloved superhero teams in the history of comic books.
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