Fox Confirm Plans For X-MEN TV Series...If Marvel Lets Them Make It
Talking at the Television Critics Association press tour today, Fox CEO Dana Walden has confirmed that there is indeed a small screen X-Men spinoff in the works, but it will only happen if Marvel lets them. What will they ask for in return? The Fantastic Four right might be a good bet...
You may recall that there were talks some time ago about an X-Men TV series being in development at Fox, and it sounds like it may be going ahead...if Marvel gives them the green light! While the comic publisher doesn't own the movie rights to the characters, they do obviously hold the comic book ones, and it will be up to them to decide whether or not to allow Fox to make the show. "[For] X-Men, we're in negotiations with Marvel. We're hopeful we'll be able to announce something soon. We're not closed on a deal yet but it's something we're definitely pursuing," Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Dana Walden told The Hollywood Reporter earlier today.
The show is being written by Star Trek 3's Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, while Evan Katz and Manny Coto will serve as the showrunners and be credited as its creators. "The characters from the X-Men franchise are with Fox on the feature side so we won't be including Marvel characters that are at ABC with Disney," Walden confirmed when asked if this deal means we'll see the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Daredevil meet the X-Men. "This will be exclusively the franchise as it has existed at Fox." That's to be expected, but what will Marvel get out of this deal? It could be something as simple as a promise that this show won't air on the same night as one of the Marvel ones on ABC, but perhaps Marvel will ask for the chance to use certain character in the MCU like Galactus and Silver Surfer? After all, they gave Fox the chance to keep Daredevil in exchange for them!