The much-anticipated X-Men reboot from Marvel Studios has found its director. Fresh off the critical success of Thunderbolts*/New Avengers, a report from Deadline first hinted that director Jake Schreier was Marvel Studios’ first choice to direct its X-Men movie. And while promoting Ironheart in an interview with Metro Entertainment, series producer Ryan Coogler came right out and said, “Jake is directing that” when asked about X-Men. Now, we don’t have to guess anymore because Kevin Feige himself has confirmed that Jake Schreier will indeed direct the MCU’s X-Men movie.
Feige shared:
Yeah, it’s official. Jake Schreier is doing X-Men for us. Very lucky, and we’re very, very lucky to have him, and very excited to have him. And so we’re beginning. It’s all starting now. Script’s underway.
Jake’s an incredibly smart guy, and he’s an incredibly talented filmmaker. We had a great experience with him on Thunderbolts, and if you saw that movie, what he did with those character interactions — he also has his pulse on, shall we say, a younger demographic. Not—he’s younger than me, for sure—but he’s tapped into that in a way that I think is important. It was important for Thunderbolts, much more important for X-Men, because X-Men, as it was in the comics, will be a very youth-oriented, focused and cast movie.
One year ago, Marvel announced that Hunger Games screenwriter Michael Lesslie was writing the script, and that appears to still be the case. Much like the Thunderbolts, the X-Men are outcasts and underdogs, making Schreier a perfect match with the material.
We know almost nothing about this new X-Men movie, except that it’s due to arrive after Avengers: Secret Wars. Several of the original X-Men from the Fox films will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which most fans expect to be the swan song for that iteration of the team. Whatever we’re getting next will be a whole new version of Marvel’s mutants. Although, we expect many of the same characters. It’s hard to imagine an X-Men reboot with Charles Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, and Jean Grey, among other iconic mutants. The only returning cast member from the original X-Men we could see return is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, if only because he’s so identified with the role. But that’s pure speculation.
Although not confirmed by anyone at Marvel, rumors abound that post-Secret Wars, the studio will focus almost entirely on mutants. A movie called X-Men would likely just be the start. Aside from the students at Xavier’s school, you could have paramilitary mutants like X-Force. Also, hard-boiled detective mutants like X-Factor, and trippy interdimensional mutants like Excalibur. In the pages of Marvel Comics, the mutants are practically a universe unto themselves. Heck, the X-Men adjacent Starjammers could also serve as a replacement for the Guardians of the Galaxy. When it comes to Marvel mutants, the sky’s the limit.
Originally published on May 8, 2025.
