How Marvel Plans to Ensure X-Men Reboot Box Office Victory

Marvel Studios will reboot the X-Men after acquiring rights to the characters in the Fox-Disney deal in 2019. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that the mutants would be entirely recast with younger actors. Thanks to Fantastic Four: First Steps, the stage is set for the double extravaganza of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In figuring out how to overcome superhero fatigue, Feige will cast fresh-faced actors for the X-Men and settle down with releasing projects.

Marvel’s Cooking Up Something For The X-Men

Along with both upcoming Avengers films, fans have been jumping for joy to see what the studio does with its X-Men reboot post-Secret Wars. With the X-Men reboot, Marvel seems to have a plan in place in the future after some post-Endgame slumps. In addition, Jake Schreier, who directed Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers), will guide the upcoming X-Men film.

First off, if you’ve been dreaming of James McAvoy returning as Professor X or secretly hoping Jennifer Lawrence will squeeze back into Mystique’s blue bodysuit one last time, I have two words for you: probably not. Marvel is planning to cast fresh, new, younger actors for the X-Men. It looks like that the studio has had its run with its celebrity-led approach, and is looking for fresh faces. 

Since there will be new casting, we can expect some major changes in character development and storytelling. After all, the 20th Century Fox X-Men Universe was carried by veteran actors like Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen, and many more. According to Variety, Marvel will begin casting for the mutants soon, and potential choices are wide open, featuring some promising young actors.

Why, you ask? Well, for one, it’s a pretty clear nod to how the MCU initially took off. Remember the early 2000s? Most of us were just learning how to use Google, and Marvel decided to turn Chris Evans (a guy fresh off a questionable run as Johnny Storm) and Chris Hemsworth (who got his big break in Star Trek, but c’mon, who remembers?) into household names. Sure, Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was the exception to the “unknowns rule,” though. Mind you, he will be the next big bad as Marvel as he’s set to play Dr. Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. 

Final Thoughts

The X-Men reboot represents more than just an ambitious film project. It is a urgently needed move for Marvel since the franchise is trying to hit the reset button. By keeping casting costs manageable and focusing on newer talent, Marvel has an opportunity to rediscover that rebellious underdog spirit that first catapulted the MCU onto Forbes lists and our hearts. How this strategy unfolds remains to be seen, but you can bet fans will be analyzing every casting rumor or Kevin Feige slip-up between now and the official announcement. Until then, keep your claws retracted and your hype measured. The mutants will rise again… just on a budget.