Marvel’s X-Men movie reportedly finds its writer, and MCU fans say it’s an underwhelming choice
A new report suggests Marvel has found the X-Men film’s screenwriter
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MarvelStudios has reportedly found the lead writer for its live-actionX-Menmovie in Michael Lesslie.
PerDeadline, the comic book giant has tappedThe Hunger Gamesprequel film’s screenwriter to pen the highly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick. Deadline has claimed that Marvel and Lesslie are still negotiating the terms of his contract, so the latter’s involvement isn’t official yet.
If Lesslie is confirmed as theX-Menfilm reboot’s chief scribe, though, he’ll be the first person – apart from Marvel President Kevin Feige, who’s set to produce the movie – to join the project.
EXCLUSIVE: Following the success of its animated series ‘X-Men 97,’ Marvel Studios is now ramping things up on its live-action ‘X-Men’ movie as Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes scribe Michael Lesslie is in negotiations to pen the movie https://t.co/Ycgnqg6RXxMay 21, 2024
Feige previously admitted it would be years before an X-Men movie would be made, but it seems Marvel has re-evaluated its stance following a surge in the super team’s popularity.
X-Men 97, a sequel to the beloved 1990s classicX-Men: The Animated Series(X:TAS) and whose first season recently ended onDisney Plus, was a huge success for the comic titan. Indeed, the animated series dominated the news cycle throughout its 10 week run on the streamer, wowing established fans with its honoring ofX:TASand the X-Men’s illustrious literary history, as well as introducing the iconic mutants to a new generation.
Little wonder, then, that nobody can wait for the in-developmentX-Men 97season 2 to debut on one of the world’sbest streaming services. Be sure to read myX-Men 97season 1 ending explainedarticle to see what it sets up ahead of the show’s return.
But I digress. WithX-Men 97re-establishing the X-Men as one of Marvel’s most valuable properties, it’s little surprise that the studio wants to get the ball rolling on the mutants' MCU debut.
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It’ll be many years before the group returns to the big screen as part of Marvel’s cinematic juggernaut – a director and primary cast members also need to be found – but it’s nonetheless pleasing to see that there’ssomemovement on its development.
Indeed, the last major piece of news we have on the film was awild MCU rumor suggesting that it might be titledThe Mutants– and that piece of conjecture is three years old at this point. Here’s hoping that Lesslie’s likely involvement will mean more announcements – official or otherwise – are made in the not-too-distant future.
A Less(lie) than ideal appointment for some Marvel fans
Pleasing as it is to see that someone other than Feige is now involved in the MCU’sX-Menfilm, Lesslie’s apparent hiring hasn’t universally gone down well with Marvel fans. A quick look at some of the replies in threads onResetEraandvarious MarvelReddit pages, regarding Lesslie’s supposed appointment, reveal a number of fans aren’t pleased with Marvel’s choice for the film’s head writer, with some calling it a “pretty risky choice”, “underwhelming”, and “boring”.
It’s easy to see why sections of the MCU’s fanbase are irked by Lesslie’s rumored (remember, his hiring hasn’t been confirmed by Marvel) appointment. A quick look at Lesslie’s previous writing credits include the critically pannedAssassin’s Creed, a 2016 film adaptation of Ubisoft’s popular video game series, as well as 2015’sMacbethfilm and the aforementionedHunger Gamesprequel flick.
The latter pair also received middling reviews, with critics praising the former (general audiences weren’t as enamored with it, as evidenced by itsRotten Tomatoesscore), while critics were underwhelmed byThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which cinemagoers largely enjoyed (again, perRotten Tomatoes).
Of course, the views of these individuals aren’t representative of the entire MCU fanbase, nor will anyone care who’s written the movie if it turns out to be a fantastic live-action reboot that captures the essence of what makes the X-Men so special. We’ll find out if Lesslie is the right person for the job once Marvel’s newX-Menmovie hits theaters, whenever that’ll be.
Until that time comes, there are other X-Men-centric projects to look forward to. As well as the previously mentionedX-Men 97season 2, another mutant-filled film inDeadpool and Wolverine– theonly Marvel movie of 2024– is the nextMarvel Phase 5flick to land in theaters, with one of 2024’s most anticipatednew moviesarriving on July 25.
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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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