Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier addresses the rumors suggesting he will helm the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming X-Men reboot. Speaking with Collider while at the Mediterrane Film Festival, the filmmaker was asked about his approach for X-Men. Being careful with his response, Schreier did not confirm nor deny if he will actually direct the film. However, he did shed light on his ideal vision for such a project, underscoring the importance of character and working alongside a team of talented writers to crack the most compelling narrative. He also mentioned he’d want to do “something different” if he did tackle X-Men.
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“Even if I were confirmed on that movie, I don’t think I would be allowed to answer that question,” Schreier said. “I guess what I would say is that it always starts from character and working with great writers and collaborators, and certainly thinking about how to do something different with any project that you take on. That’s as much as I can say.”
Schreier has reportedly been attached to X-Men since shortly after Thunderbolts* debuted in early May. Though Thunderbolts* underwhelmed at the box office ($381.3 million worldwide as of this writing), the film’s positive reception was enough to put Schreier in position to bring Marvel’s mutants back to the big screen. While Marvel Studios hasn’t made any official confirmations about X-Men, things seemingly became more definitive recently when Ryan Coogler said Schreier was directing that movie.
The MCU’s X-Men reboot has not been added to Marvel’s upcoming release schedule yet. All indications are that the characters will be the primary focus of the franchise’s next major saga once Avengers: Secret Wars concludes the Multiverse Saga. Kevin Feige, who has promised that the X-Men are important to the MCU’s future, reportedly has a 10-year plan in mind for the characters.
Because Marvel hasn’t officially shared any details about the X-Men reboot yet, Schreier probably isn’t at the mercy to say that he’s the one directing the film. That means, for now, he has to play coy like this if he’s asked about the movie. Marvel is very particular about when they reveal information about upcoming projects. Right now, the studio wants to keep the focus on The Fantastic Four: First Steps and not distract fans with confirmations about films that are years away. Still, it seems likely the job is Schreier’s, especially after seeing Coogler’s recent comments. It’s simply a matter of when Schreier’s involvement becomes officially official.
In the meantime, it sounds like Schreier has the right approach for X-Men in mind. Thunderbolts* earned positive reviews in large part because of the character work on display. Schreier explored the team on a very human level, tapping into compelling thematic material that helped the film resonate with audiences. He’s also right in saying that doing something different is vital for the X-Men reboot. Fox’s film series was one of the most prominent superhero franchises of the 21st century (despite the ups and downs), so it’ll be important that the MCU’s reboot isn’t merely a retread. Hopefully, Schreier is truly confirmed for X-Men soon and he can get to work on what should be a special film.
