If Comcast Beats Disney To Buying Fox, What Comes Next For The X-MEN And FANTASTIC FOUR?

There appears to be a very strong chance that Comcast will manage to steal Fox right from under Disney's nose but if that does happen, what does the future hold in store for the X-Men and Fantastic Four?

By JoshWilding - Jun 15, 2018 06:06 AM EST

Filed Under: Disney

Back in 2014/2015, we all waited with baited breath as report after report claimed that plans were being put in place to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It simply felt too good to be true and pretty much all of us went through a will they/won't they type relationship with the news until it was finally made official (similar to what's currently happening with Ben Affleck and Batman).

Earlier this year, Disney started the process of acquiring 21st Century Fox and announced that the merger would bring the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Deadpool into the MCU. Unfortunately, that was seemingly too good to be true as it now appears as if Comcast could end up pulling the rug from under Disney's feet and while there's more at stake here than those Marvel characters, that means we won't see them teaming up with the likes of The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy in the MCU.

So, if Comcast does end up winning, what does that mean for the X-Men and Fantastic Four moving forward? That's what we're taking a look at here, exploring all the possibilities and taking a closer look at the movie which will happen if Fox is able to carry on with business as usual. To check these out, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button down below to see the entire breakdown.

They Could Still Arrive In The MCU

This could be wishful thinking but there are a couple of different scenarios which could bring the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For starters, when Marvel sold the rights to the characters to Fox, there may have been a provision stating that the studio couldn't then sell them on without their permission. As Comcast is looking to buy Fox as a whole, though, the Marvel Comics heroes might be part and parcel of that so there's a chance this sadly won't come to pass.

Some Wall Street analysts believe that Disney and Comcast will ultimately choose to split Fox's assets and seeing as the latter is more interested in Sky Television than anything else, it's feasible that the movie and TV studios will become Disney's and the X-Men and Fantastic Four will then return home.

A Full Franchise Reboot

It's hard to say just how involved Comcast will be in the movie side of things but seeing as they already own Universal, there will almost certainly be some massive shakeups in terms of who is in charge of what. With that in mind, it's possible that Fox will have to go back to the drawing board, abandoning the current status quo and attempting to deliver a shared world which can finally rival the MCU.

They might assemble a writers room or just hire some fresh blood and get rid of Simon Kinberg (who has essentially been in charge of the X-Men franchise for years now). Either way, a full reboot isn't too far-fetched but there's another, unfortunately, more likely, option for these beloved Marvel heroes...

Business As Usual

Ugh. Say what you will about Fox's movies but the vast majority have been successful commercially so there's a strong chance that Comcast will be happy for the studio to crack on as usual and make these movies as planned. That's probably going to be welcomed by a very small group of fans but it's not a very exciting prospect, especially as it pales in comparison to the heroes finally entering the MCU.

More Deadpool. A Lot More Deadpool

Honestly, no matter what happens to Fox if Comcast acquires the company, this is pretty much a given. Deadpool 2 didn't exactly exceed expectations at the box office but it still did very well and movies like Deadpool 3 and X-Force stand a great chance of being huge successes from a commercial standpoint.

If none of the others movies mentioned throughout this feature happen, expect the Merc with the Mouth to receive the spotlight for a very long time to come before his popularity isn't waning and Comcast will want to keep a good thing going (Disney, on the other hand, may have mixed feelings about an R-Rated franchise becoming part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward).

These Movies Actually Happen:

Over the past eighteen months or so, we've heard a lot about Fox's tentative plans for their Marvel characters and assuming it is business as usual at the studio moving forward, then we can probably expect all of these to happen. Here's an update on where things stand and what you should expect:

- Doctor Doom

Noah Hawley has completed the movie's screenplay and while there's still some work to do according to the director, he's basically waiting to receive the green light from Fox (which obviously hasn't come due to this impending merger). Apparently, it will explore Doctor Doom's status as a hero or villain in a movie which has been described as a political thirller...which likely won't include the Fantastic Four.

- Gambit

This one has been stuck in development forever but Fox execs continue saying it's still happening so if they're given the chance to make it, you have to believe it will ultimately happen (even if Channing Tatum decides to move on). There's currently no director and we have no clue what's going on with the screenplay so God knows what's going on and how long the film will take to finally come to fruition.

- Fantastic Four

The last update we had about Fantastic Four was that a reboot was in the works which would take place from the point of view of Franklin and Valeria Richards. That could either be very good or very bad and seeing as it's now been three years since Josh Trank's movie came out, it's easy to imagine that the studio probably would have just let the rights revert by now if it wasn't for villains like Doom.

- X-23

There have been rumblings for a while now that James Mangold will take the helm of a movie revolving around Dafne Keen's X-23 but seeing as the filmmaker has been tempted by Disney to take the helm of Boba Fett, this has got to be on the backburner now. It could still happen, of course, but a far more likely destination for the mutant right now is a future X-Force movie at this stage so time will tell.

- Multiple Man

James Franco is developing this R-Rated X-Men spinoff and while there's no denying that it would be a lot of fun seeing him step into this role, it's hard to imagine it sticking too closely to the comic books as the actor is more likely to take the premise and run with it than deliver a Jamie Madrox fans want to see. Regardless, it's clearly still in the very early stages of development so who know what will happen.

New Leadership = A New Hope

Going back to a point I made a little earlier in this post, Comcast deciding that someone new needs to start overseeing the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises could be the best thing that's ever happened to them (well, aside from Kevin Feige taking charge). Can you imagine if they decided that they want to follow in the footsteps of Sony and allow Marvel Studios creative control over these iconic characters?

That's obviously a dream scenario but not necessarily one which is all that unlikely. New leadership might be a good thing regardless because you need only look at what's currently going on at Warner Bros. to see that putting someone else in charge can result in some positive changes to a franchise.

What About Marvel Studios?

Well, if Marvel Studios don't wind up getting the X-Men, they'll be just fine. Yes, Kevin Feige is probably salivating over the thought of having the Fantastic Four and X-Men in the same world as The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy but he's managed for a decade without them so can probably continue doing the same, especially with franchises like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and The Eternals in play.

If the Comcast deal goes ahead and Disney is frozen out, then we can forget about ever seeing these characters in the MCU so any hopes of Earth's Mightiest Heroes battling the likes of Doctor Doom and Galactus will go out of the window, as will an Avengers Vs. X-Men movie. That will be a shame but something we'll just have to accept as money talks and that's what Fox will ultimately go with.

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven Dwarfs & Rachel Zegler's More Independent Princess

Recommended For You:

Disney+ Reportedly Has Plans For Always-On Channels Dedicated To Marvel, STAR WARS, And More

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

124 Comments

1 2 3 4

DanMcNice - 6/15/2018, 6:32 AM

FU Comcast!!!

mastakilla39 - 6/15/2018, 7:01 AM

@DanMcNice - Iono I prefer Comcast over Disney and remakes

blitzburgh - 6/15/2018, 8:31 AM

@mastakilla39 - Comcast blows, I have FiOS

DoubleD - 6/15/2018, 8:35 AM

@DanMcNice - What comes next for Wolverine, X-Men and Fantastic Four ? They will all be DEAD.

Comcast will charge 6.00 per movie and shows to watch reruns.

whynot - 6/15/2018, 6:34 AM

So if fantastic for doesn’t have a movie after so many years those rights revert back to marvel correct? Does Dr Doom count as a fantastic four movie? Also wouldn’t it be smart if Comcast bought fox to let marvel produce it (sony deal) I mean a soft reboot and allowing these characters to exist in a bigger universe would bring in more money for fox. Look at what happened box office wise to Apocalypse. The fans want these characters in the MCU it would be wise for Fox/ Comcast to listen

Origame - 6/15/2018, 6:41 AM

@whynot - It might. I have a feeling Fox wouldn't bother with a solo Doom movie if it didn't count as a FF movie in terms of keeping the rights, since they would want sequels and they seemed to have more focus on that then a FF reboot.

StormXmen123 - 6/15/2018, 6:50 AM

@whynot - I think the Dr Doom and Silver surfer would count as an "F4 film" as the seem to be grouped together as F4 character legally.

mastakilla39 - 6/15/2018, 7:13 AM

@whynot - unless fans can outbid 65 billion dollars, Fox/Comcast won't listen

BloodyBed - 6/15/2018, 6:35 AM

Honestly? [frick] this entire conversation. It’s tiring. I don’t care anymore, just let me know when you suits figure this shit out.

SimpleeComplex - 6/15/2018, 6:48 AM

@BloodyBed - yeah especially when there is article after article about just speculation.

Kumkani - 6/15/2018, 6:54 AM

@BloodyBed - I think this is exactly how I feel right now. I'm not even as excited about the X-Men or FF debuting in the MCU anymore. I want more news about THEIR upcoming and planned movies, NOT this.

IronGenesis - 6/15/2018, 6:37 AM

Selfishly... I’m want that Doctor Doom film by Noah Hawley. Whether it be with FOX, Comcast or MCU (but way less likely in MCU.)

Probably puts me in minority but I don’t need Spider-Man in Venom or Batman in Joker or Luke Skywalker with Vader or F4 with Doctor Doom.

Just respect too much the talent of Hawley and what he has done with Fargo and Legion that I’m chomping to get a look at his Doctor Doom film.

StormXmen123 - 6/15/2018, 6:47 AM

@IronGenesis - let's assume Fox stays at it is.

If they are going to do a F4 reboot I think it's smart to go with a Dr Doom film first and the film focused on the F4 children before having a concrete F4 film.

Dr Doom needs to be built up and a solo film is a great way to do it. Plus, wiht Noah Hawley you know it going to be good.

I think focusing of the F4 is a great way to re introduce the new F4. Have them cameo in the film (like spiderman/BP in civil war).

Plus, there is the rumoured Silver surfer film which could build up Galactus as a threat.

StormXmen123 - 6/15/2018, 6:48 AM

@StormXmen123 - "Foucisng in the F4 CHILDREN ..."

JohnnyTBP - 6/15/2018, 6:43 AM

Just do the same deal as Sony did with Disney. I really want Disney to win but I’m not sure they will

1 2 3 4

Related Headlines

Disney

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

MarkCassidy

4 days ago

Horror

ARCADIAN Concept Art Reveals That The Monsters In Nicolas Cage's New Horror Movie Were Inspired By... Goofy!

MarkCassidy

Apr 17, 2024 08:04 AM

Disney

Disney+ Reportedly Has Plans For Always-On Channels Dedicated To Marvel, STAR WARS, And More

JoshWilding

Apr 16, 2024 05:04 AM

Related Headlines

Disney

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

MarkCassidy

4 days ago

Horror

ARCADIAN Concept Art Reveals That The Monsters In Nicolas Cage's New Horror Movie Were Inspired By... Goofy!

MarkCassidy

Apr 17, 2024 08:04 AM

Disney

Disney+ Reportedly Has Plans For Always-On Channels Dedicated To Marvel, STAR WARS, And More

JoshWilding

Apr 16, 2024 05:04 AM

Disney

MUFASA: THE LION KING CinemaCon Footage Description Teases Unique Origin Story; New Look At Mufasa Revealed

JoshWilding

Apr 14, 2024 04:04 AM

Disney

MUFASA: THE LION KING Footage Sees Rafiki Return As The Lion Cub Sets Off On A Prequel Adventure

JoshWilding

Apr 05, 2024 09:04 PM

Disney

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Marvel Comics

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Mad Max

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

MarkCassidy

1 hour ago

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Marvel Comics

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

3 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

X-MEN Star Ray Park Responds To Rumors He'll Return As Toad In DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

X-Men '97

Who Is [SPOILER]? Everything You Need To Know About X-MEN '97 Surprise New Villain

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Hot Headlines

166 comments

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

100 comments

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

72 comments

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

MarkCassidy

17 hours ago EST

62 comments

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

3 hours ago EST

55 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

More Cartoons & Animated ►

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

More Anime & Manga ►

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

Jinder Mahal Reflects On Social Media Spat With AEW's Tony Khan And His WWE Day 1 Promo Alongside The Rock

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

If Comcast Beats Disney To Buying Fox, What Comes Next For The X-MEN And FANTASTIC FOUR?

There appears to be a very strong chance that Comcast will manage to steal Fox right from under Disney's nose but if that does happen, what does the future hold in store for the X-Men and Fantastic Four?

They Could Still Arrive In The MCU

A Full Franchise Reboot

Business As Usual

More Deadpool. A Lot More Deadpool

These Movies Actually Happen:

- Doctor Doom

- Gambit

- Fantastic Four

- X-23

- Multiple Man

New Leadership = A New Hope

What About Marvel Studios?

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

Disney+ Reportedly Has Plans For Always-On Channels Dedicated To Marvel, STAR WARS, And More

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

ARCADIAN Concept Art Reveals That The Monsters In Nicolas Cage's New Horror Movie Were Inspired By... Goofy!

Disney+ Reportedly Has Plans For Always-On Channels Dedicated To Marvel, STAR WARS, And More

SNOW WHITE: Rumored Details On The Seven "Dwarfs" & Rachel Zegler's "More Independent" Princess

ARCADIAN Concept Art Reveals That The Monsters In Nicolas Cage's New Horror Movie Were Inspired By... Goofy!

Disney+ Reportedly Has Plans For Always-On Channels Dedicated To Marvel, STAR WARS, And More

MUFASA: THE LION KING CinemaCon Footage Description Teases Unique Origin Story; New Look At Mufasa Revealed

MUFASA: THE LION KING Footage Sees Rafiki Return As The Lion Cub Sets Off On A Prequel Adventure

Disney CEO Bob Iger On Fending Off Ike Perlmutter's Attack And Claims Marvel Has Gone Too "Woke"

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rumored New Details About [SPOILER], [SPOILER], And [SPOILER]'s Roles Revealed

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rob Liefeld Responds To Trailer's Shot At His Apparent Inability To Draw Feet

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

X-MEN '97 "Bright Eyes" Recap: An Unexpected New Villain Revealed As [SPOILER] Makes Shock Return

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: New Statues And Standee Offer Another Look At Wade Wilson And Logan's Costumes

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

X-MEN Star Ray Park Responds To Rumors He'll Return As Toad In DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Who Is [SPOILER]? Everything You Need To Know About X-MEN '97 Surprise New Villain

Hot Headlines

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE Clip Sees General Grievous Attack Dathomir's Nightsisters

DUNE: PART TWO Honest Trailer Isn't Afraid To Point Out The Flaws In Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Masterpiece

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Has Been Rated R For "Strong Violence And Grisly Images"

APPLE TV+'s NEUROMANCER Casts Callum Turner As Series Lead Case

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Sequel's Ending And Teases MESSIAH Plans - SPOILERS

Cartoons & Animated Features

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

THE LITTLE MERMAID: New Live-Action Movie Rated R For "Violence & Nudity" - Check Out The Trailer

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Breaks Down Cameos, Easter Eggs And More In "Bright Eyes" - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97 Finally Reveals Its True Villain In "Bright Eyes" As We Get A Few Shocking Returns - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: "Bright Eyes" Unleashes Rogue And Features TWO Huge Marvel Universe Cameos - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Rogue Is Out For Revenge In First Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode, "Bright Eyes"

Gaming

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

GTA 5 Voice Actor Reveals Plans For "Agent Trevor" DLC Before Rockstar Apparently Scrapped It

TALES OF THE SHIRE: A LORD OF THE RINGS GAME Official Announcement Trailer Released

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

Billie Eilish Headlines FORTNITE FESTIVAL Season 3

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

Anime & Manga

UniVersus Reveals New MY HERO ACADEMIA: GIRL POWER Set

New Trailer For GAROUDEN: THE WAY OF THE LONE WOLF Released Ahead Of Netflix Debut

Netflix's ONE PIECE Finds New Showrunner In PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS' Joe Tracz

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Netflix's PARASYTE: THE GREY Is Now Streaming; Here's What The Critics Are Saying

Horror

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

WEDNESDAY Season 2 Adds WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton In Mysterious Role

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To "Pussy Island" In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

THE WATCHERS New Trailer Sees Dakota Fanning Terrorised In Ishana Night Shyamalan's Directorial Debut

EVIL DEAD RISE Director Lee Cronin Shares Gruesome New BTS Photos To Mark Movie's One-Year Anniversary