Marvel fans shouldn’t expect any new X-Men or Fantastic Four announcements for a long time yet, according to new details that have emerged online regarding the films’ development.
During this weekend’s D23 Expo, Marvel fans got an update on Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate of films. However, there was still no word on Marvel’s plans for the X-Men and the Fantastic Four casting announcement many fans had expected did not arrive either.
Now, an insider scoop has revealed that X-Men could be further away than fans may have expected and it is unlikely the casting process has started on Fantastic Four.
Deadline scooper Justin Kroll has revealed that the MCU’s X-Men “isn’t happening for a very long time,” while also confirming it is unlikely any casting decisions have been made on Fantastic Four.
The film rights to the X-Men were returned to Marvel Studios when Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. Earlier reports had suggested that many actors who had previously appeared in Fox’s X-Men movies still had contracts that would not expire until 2025, preventing Marvel from moving forward on a reboot until after this point.
While it is not clear if such outstanding cast contracts are a factor in Marvel Studios’ timeline for their X-Men reboot or not, it sounds like fans shouldn’t expect a movie featuring the X-Men until after Marvel’s current Multiverse Saga, which concludes with 2025’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
It was also confirmed that Kevin Feige aims to work closely with a director when casting a major Marvel team like the Fantastic Four. Given that Matt Shakman has only just landed the job of director on Fantastic Four, it is likely no casting decisions will be made on that film for some time.
While the X-Men may not be returning to the big screen for a while yet – Kroll later clarified “a very long time” probably means around four years – the team of mutants will be appearing in the animated series X-Men ’97 on Disney Plus.
X-Men ’97 is set to feature the return of voice actors Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Adrian Hough, Christopher Britton, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alison Sealy-Smith, and Alyson Court. The Disney Plus series also features the voice talents of Jennifer Hale, Anniwaa Buachie, Ray Chase, Matthew Waterson, JP Karliak, Holly Chou, Jeff Bennett, and AJ LoCascio.
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Source: Deadline
