While not confirmed, the expectation among MCU fans is that Marvel Studios' next Saga will be the "Mutant Saga." In the post-Avengers: Secret Wars MCU, the spotlight will shift to the X-Men, starting with Jake Schreier's reboot.
Common sense dictates that Marvel Studios already has spin-offs planned; those could revolve around Wolverine, X-Force, Excalibur, or any number of teams and characters. The point is, the MCU is about to expand in a big way.
Collider recently caught up with Schreier, who, after recently confirming that Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo are rewriting Michael Lesslie's script, teased wider plans for the X-Men franchise.
Unsurprisingly, Marvel Studios and Schreier have already discussed where these characters can go, even with the focus currently on ensuring that the opening instalment is as good as it can possibly be.
"I think that, obviously, first things first: We have to make one great movie. But we always have an eye as we’re talking about it, too," the filmmaker shared. "What are the different places this can go? What are the places that [have] been in the comics? What hasn’t been explored as much, and how can that be incorporated?"
"And what are some of the different avenues that we could take that feel like the kind of less-trodden path that we could go down?" Schreier continued. "But those ideas are always out there, as we have the discussions."
The Multiverse Saga featured such a rapid expansion of the MCU that it ended up becoming somewhat directionless. Crossovers have been few and far between (Moon Knight came and went without ever mentioning Rama-Tut), and continuity was disregarded on multiple occasions.
Based on Schreier's latest X-Men comments, it sounds like Marvel Studios has a roadmap for the characters in the MCU. That's not overly surprising, as Disney will be banking on the mutants to help overcome superhero fatigue and keep this franchise relevant and fresh for years to come.
There have been lots of rumours about what's to come in the movie, including supposed plans to focus on Mister Sinister and Apocalypse. Cyclops and Jean Grey will reportedly be co-leaders of the team, with Angel, Beast, Gambit, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, and Nightcrawler among those reported to be part of the next X-Men team.
Before Marvel Studios reboots the X-Men, the team will return in Avengers: Doomsday, with actors from 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise reprising their roles for the first time in the MCU.
Stay tuned for updates on the X-Men reboot as we have them.