Work is underway on Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot, with director Jake Schreier enlisting Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo (who collaborated with him on Thunderbolts*) to work on the screenplay.
They previously made some big changes to Eric Pearson's Thunderbolts* script, including killing Taskmaster, a character who was originally set to join the ranks of the New Avengers. With that in mind, Michael Lesslie's first draft may be unrecognisable by now.
There have been a handful of leaks about supposed plans for the X-Men post-Avengers: Secret Wars, including the easy-to-believe rumour that Hugh Jackman will continue playing Wolverine.
Recasting a role that's belonged to him for the past two and a half decades won't be easy, and Solo: A Star Wars Story remains a good example of the challenges an actor can face while attempting to fill the shoes of an icon.
For now, this may not be a problem that Marvel Studios has to deal with. According to insider @MyTimeToShineH, Wolverine is not in the current draft of Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot.
It's unclear whether they're referring to Lesslie's draft or the one being worked on by Jin and Calo. Regardless, if this is accurate, it means the movie will tell a story that doesn't allow the rest of the team to be overshadowed by Logan. This could be a smart move on Marvel's part, too, as no matter who plays the clawed mutant, his absence will build anticipation for the hero one day joining the ranks of the X-Men.
Whether he's yet to meet the team or is busy elsewhere with X-Force, Wolverine will be missed. While 20th Century Fox's movies prioritised his story over the likes of Cyclops and Storm, that wouldn't have to be the case in the reboot. Either way, this news is likely to receive a mixed response, with just as many fans relieved to see Wolverine shelved as those who are disappointed by the decision.
Potentially offering some clues about what the X-Men reboot could look like, Shreier recently hinted that he's inspired by Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men run.
"I also think just having the time to kind of sit back, and I’ve just been digging into so many of the old comics and the entire Claremont run, and just going through stuff and really trying to think about what can we do well that feels new and feels different, and that hasn’t been done well before?" the filmmaker explained. "Obviously, there’s such an incredible cinematic tradition of these comics, but what can we do? And how can we put our own spin on what that is?"
It's previously been reported that the next X-Men franchise will 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 team.
Are you excited to see Marvel Studios' take on these mutants?