Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot continues to take shape, and writer Lee Sung Jin has now shed some light on how he and filmmaker Jake Schreier are approaching the highly anticipated movie.
In an interview with Deadline, the Beef creator likened his work on X-Men to his experience writing Thunderbolts*, explaining that the latter had more restrictions because it needed to fit into pre-existing storylines and characters.
Not only did that movie have to pick up the plot threads of several MCU movies and TV shows, but it also had to tie into Avengers: Doomsday. According to Lee, there's a lot more freedom with Marvel's mutant movie.
"I’d say there were actually more parameters on Thunderbolts because it was plugging into an existing arc and existing characters, whereas with X-Men, Kevin [Feige] just wants to take a big swing and start anew, not be beholden to any of the movies that have come before," Lee revealed. "And Jake Schreier has such a clear vision in terms of wanting to get back to character first, and to what is exciting about those early [Chris] Claremont-run comics, which was all about team dynamics."
"There were a lot of soapy elements to those comics. We’ve been in the room every day together," the writer continued. "Kevin and Louis [D’Esposito] are so dialled in, and they have such incredible instincts that it’s been fun to just blue-sky."
These comments are likely to reassure fans concerned that the MCU's X-Men movie might lean too heavily on nostalgia or attempt to recreate the Fox movies. Instead, it sounds as if Feige and company are looking to establish something entirely new, all while drawing inspiration from Chris Claremont's beloved comic book run.
Lee also revealed just how surreal the experience has been for him as a lifelong fan of Marvel's mutants. "I’m such a big fan of that IP of the comics. My dad and I, every Saturday morning, used to watch the show on television, so to be able to look around this Marvel conference room and have every X-Men character on the board and be able to spitball and freestyle on, 'What about this person?' It’s so emboldening because you’re like, 'Oh, wow, this isn’t going to be a safe movie. This is actually going to be a really exciting new take.'"
The mention of "every X-Men character on the board" suggests Marvel Studios is exploring all its options while assembling this new team. With Schreier clearly prioritising the character relationships and soap opera elements that defined Claremont's era, the reboot may ultimately end up feeling closer to the comics than any previous live-action adaptation.
When asked what guides him while writing the movie, Lee explained that he's trying to satisfy the fan he once was. "It’s, 'Would younger me want to run to the movie theater to watch this? Are we honoring all the amazing work that the comics set up? Are we playing it safe? Are we pushing things?' It’s just trying to look at my childhood self, who loved these characters so much, and making sure we’re doing right by him and all the other fans that love X-Men."
That suggests Marvel Studios is aware of the expectations surrounding the franchise. After years of speculation and with the mutant corner of the MCU in desperate need of expansion, the pressure is on for the studio to deliver a movie that both honours decades of comic book history and offers audiences something new. Fortunately, all signs point to it delivering.
X-Men doesn't have a release date, but is rumoured to begin shooting this year for a 2028 debut.