A recent rumor claimed that Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope, Us) met with Marvel Studios about potentially taking the helm of an upcoming movie, and we may now know which project he was speaking to Kevin Feige and co. about.
Though it took some convincing (and a few quid from his patrons), Jeff Sneider revealed the name of the film during the latest episode of The Hot Mic, and, as many speculated, it was indeed the long-awaited X-Men reboot.
Unfortunately, it sounds like things didn't work out.
Sneider heard that he took the meeting a few weeks ago, and isn't actually sure if he was being eyed to director or write. Since then, we got word that the movie has enlisted a writer in the form of Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; 2016's Assassin’s Creed movie).
This doesn't mean Peele won't return to the project down the line (maybe he'll be convinced by Lesslie's script?), but for now, he appears to have moved on.
Would Marvel give Peele the freedom to direct this film (whatever it turns out to be) his own way without any interference? We would certainly hope so, but other filmmakers have expressed some frustration with having to work within the confines of the MCU system.
In related news, the trades reported earlier this week that Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy is one of the filmmakers being eyed to helm Avengers 5. Though Levy is not believed to have signed on, he is said to be the studio's top choice.
Interestingly, Deadline mentioned that up to 60 characters are expected to return for the next big MCU event.
"Sources close to the project say more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles, including everyone from Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Benedict Cumberbatch to Tom Hiddleston, Simu Liu and Karen Gillan. Unlike the first four films in which there was a core group that consisted of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Hemsworth and Ruffalo, many of the characters in this film would have equal footing, making it more of an ensemble feature instead of a handful of characters leading the team."
However, Sneider believes it's actually going to be closer to 65 or 66.
This may sound like overkill, but it's worth noting that the previous Avengers movie, Endgame, actually featured 63 characters (including the heroes who returned after being "snapped" back into existence), so it can be made to work.