Credit: Marvel StudiosDisney is allegedly settling on a direction for the new X-Men reboot under Marvel Studios, instead of the former 20th Century Fox.
Related: Disney Wants Dwayne Johnson To Replace Ian McKellen as ‘X-Men’s Biggest Villain: Report
With Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man sacrificing himself to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Chris Evans bidding farewell to his portrayal of Steve Rogers/Captain America, passing on the Cap mantle, a notable opportunity has emerged for superhero teams like the Fantastic Four and X-Men to assume significant roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Now, a certain Black Panther leader, who revolutionized the superhero genre even further with the first Black-led comic book movie cast, is reportedly slated to take on a possibly even bigger beast with the upcoming X-Men franchise remake.
A New X-Men Treatment?
Related: Goodbye Superman: Henry Cavill Poised To Become Disney’s New Cap in MCU (Report)
It’s known by now that the MCU’s current Multiverse Saga will likely end in the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars, AKA Avengers 6, following the Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2023) from The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios commemorated the passing of Black Panther’s character, King T’Challa of the fictional African nation Wakanda. Previously portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman, Boseman had depicted the iconic vibranium-clad Black Panther in previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, including the Avengers series, notably in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), marking the character’s final appearance in the MCU.
Following the death of Wakandan Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), handled skillfully by director Ryan Coogler, T’Challa’s sister Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) took up the Black Panther mantle, whilst leaving her position as leader of Wakanda at the end of the film. Wakanda’s fate has now been left with M’Baku (Winston Duke) as the new King of Wakanda, with the nation garnering a tentative truce with the underwater nation of Talokan and its leader Namor/K’uk’ulkan (Tenoch Huerta).
Recently, according to anonymous Hollywood and Marvel insider My Time To Shine Hello (via Marvel Film News), Black Panther franchise director Ryan Coogler was reported to have been signed on by Disney to direct the third Black Panther film. He has also and been allegedly scoped to bring the X-Men remake to life, as the MCU pivots to focus more heavily on the X-Men franchise and the much-rumored future “Mutant Saga”:
Ryan Coogler has officially signed on to direct BLACK PANTHER 3
Marvel also wants him to direct their upcoming X-MEN reboot film
(Mytimetoshinehello)
Ryan Coogler has officially signed on to direct BLACK PANTHER 3
Marvel also wants him to direct their upcoming X-MEN reboot film
(Mytimetoshinehello) pic.twitter.com/MsaSJbVMZi
— MarvelFilmNews (@MarvelNewsFilms) May 8, 2024
This choice of Disney and Marvel’s actually makes a lot of sense, considering that Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dealt directly with major geopolitical issues, mainly to do with the fight over superpowered resources like the iconic (fictional) metal vibranium, used to construct Tony Stark’s iconic Iron Man suit and Captain America’s star-spangled shield, as well as all of Wakanda’s futuristic infrastructure and weaponry, including the Black Panther suit.
This resource war will almost certainly rear its head in the upcoming X-Men reboot already confirmed by Disney, considering the franchise’s direct tie to the other mega-powered metal of Marvel Comics and subsequent media — adamantium. Yes, the very metal infused into Wolverine/Logan’s skeleton and claws.
If Coogler officially signs on for X-Men, it could absolutely be a win for a franchise, as Coogler is known for treating his films with a particular amount of passion, care, and filmmaking smarts. It would definitely be a departure from the somewhat messy tonal nature of the previous Fox-led franchise, with multiple timelines and iterations of the same character converging in a convoluted manner.
Are you excited to see the new X-Men reboot? Do you think Ryan Coogler would make a good director for the project? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on X-Men
Key figures in the Fox X-Men saga included Patrick Stewart in the role of Professor X/Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr, Halle Berry portraying Ororo Munroe/Storm, Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn embodying Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Kelsey Grammer playing Beast/Hank McCoy, and Anna Paquin as Marie D’Ancanto, also known as Rogue, among others.
Following the release of films like X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), the franchise embarked on prequel narratives and explored the intricacies of time travel. These movies introduced younger renditions of beloved characters such as Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique, portrayed by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively.