As Marvel fans look forward to watching returning veterans from Fox’s X-Men film series in Avengers: Doomsday, the studio is also working on an X-Men reboot that will help usher in a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier calling the shots, the goal is to reinvigorate the IP on the big screen with a younger cast who can carry the franchise forward. Unsurprisingly, there’s been an abundance of rumors concerning everything from the movie’s release date to ensemble, but nothing has been officially confirmed at this juncture. While fans wait for those announcements, Kevin Feige has provided a hint as to when we might expect the MCU’s X-Men reboot to hit theaters.
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During an appearance at the Shanghai Expo (via Avengers Updates), Feige provided an overview of Marvel’s upcoming film slate, mentioning the X-Men reboot. “I can’t wait for all of you to see Avengers: Doomsday, we have a movie after that called Avengers: Secret Wars, and after that the mutants are coming and the X-Men are coming and that’s been a dream of mine,” he said. “I started with the X-Men many, many years ago and to bring a new version into the MCU is going to be very exciting.”
When Will Marvel’s X-Men Reboot Release in Theaters?
Based on these comments from Feige (which, admittedly, are a bit more informal than Marvel’s grand announcements of full Phase slates at Comic-Con), it sounds like Schreier’s X-Men could be the first MCU movie to debut after Avengers: Secret Wars. If that’s the plan, that would make a lot of sense. It’s been theorized that the MCU’s next saga will be dubbed “the Mutant Saga,” meaning the X-Men will play a rather significant role. Introducing a new version of the team in the early going, getting audiences invested in the characters from the jump, would go a long way in setting the next saga up for success.
Disney has three 2028 release dates set aside for Marvel movies: May 5, July 28, and December 15. If X-Men is coming after Secret Wars, it wouldn’t be a shock to see it snag that May 5 window. That is the first Friday in May 2028, which historically marks the beginning of summer movie season. Kickstarting the summer with a highly anticipated reboot of one of its signature properties would be a great way for Marvel to make a splash as its next saga begins. It would also be a fun way to honor the legacy of the old X-Men film series; six of Fox’s movies premiered in May, so that’s a month that has featured plenty of mutant mayhem.
Again, however, it’s important to keep in mind that Feige was not sharing an official announcement of an upcoming movie lineup. He was simply mentioning X-Men is coming after Avengers: Secret Wars. We know it’s one of many projects Marvel is developing at this point in time. Also in the works are the likes of Black Panther 3, a Thunderbolts* sequel, more Spider-Man movies, and more. It remains to be seen how exactly Marvel’s 2028 slate will shake out. Perhaps there will be confirmation during Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year. Avengers: Doomsday will undoubtedly be the main attraction of that presentation, but Marvel has always been known for teasing what comes next.
Whenever X-Men hits theaters, it will be a full circle moment for Feige. His very first producing credit was Fox’s original X-Men movie from 2000, a film widely credited with helping launch the golden age of superhero movies. Getting an opportunity to reintroduce the mutants to a new generation of moviegoers more than two and a half decades later has to feel great for Feige. He understands how important these characters are in the overall fabric of the Marvel universe, so he’ll do everything he can to make sure the X-Men reboot is as strong as it can be.
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