The MCU‘s forthcoming X-Men film is close to hiring its writers. A new report reveals the two frontrunners.
Jeff Sneider of The InSneider reported that the X-Men film has narrowed their search down to two writers. Rafe Judkins and Michael Lesslie are the two names that he named in his report.
Judkins is known for being a showrunner and writer of Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. He also worked on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and wrote Uncharted.
Lesslie most recently wrote The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. He previously wrote the Assassin’s Creed film in 2016. Coming up, he will write the script for Now You See Me 3.
The X-Men have been slowly introduced into the MCU since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. Previously, Fox released 13 films in their X-Men films. The likes of Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, and Halle Berry led the first film. Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants closed out the Fox X-Men universe.
Coming up, Deadpool and Wolverine, the third film in the Deadpool series, will take place in the MCU. Patrick Stewart appeared as a variant of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In the mid-credits scene of The Marvels, Kelsey Grammer reprised his role of Beast.
Surely, that means the X-Men are close to a full-fledged introduction in the MCU. It could come as soon as Deadpool and Wolverine. Securing a writer for your film is a great first step.
What’s up with the MCU?
The MCU is coming off of a rough stretch. Two of the three feature film releases disappointed at the box office. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania teased major implications for the MCU with Jonathan Majors’ Kang serving as the antagonist.
However, it ultimately grossed just $476 million worldwide. Granted, the Ant-Man franchise isn’t one of the MCU’s biggest franchises (no pun intended). The first film in the franchise grossed $519 million and the sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp grossed $622 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was up next. It was a success like the previous installments in the series. The film grossed $845 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
The biggest disappointment came in November 2023. Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels united Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel with Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau.
Still, the film bombed at the box office. The Marvels grossed just $206 million worldwide at the box office. Trouble was spelled early when it opened to just $46 million domestically, the lowest figure in the entire MCU. It finished as the lowest-grossing film both domestically and worldwide. The Incredible Hulk made over $50 million more domestically.
Deadpool and Wolverine has a chance to save the MCU when it comes out in July. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, two of the biggest names in Hollywood, team up as the title characters in the film.
