Marvel Studios Rumored To “Reshape” The X-Men For “This New Era,” Want Halle Berry To Reprise Role As Storm
John F. Trent
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A new rumor claims that Marvel Studios plans to put the focus on the X-Men, but it might not be the X-Men most of us know and love, rather the rumor claims Marvel Studios plans to reshape the franchise for a new era.
Avengers: Kang Dynasty
The rumor comes from scooper WDW Pro by way of YouTuber Overlord DVD.
Overlord DVD details the rumor, “According to my sources Marvel’s delay of Blade was necessary due to the now public issues heading for the production. However, the delay was also an opportunity to delay other opportunities that needed more time due to contractual issues and without having to provide any other reason beyond a reshuffling.”
“I received this several days ago and this is what I was told. I am told the Disney partners in merchandising have all been given notice that X-Men is the next big thing for the MCU,” he details. “Teams of researchers, focus groups, etc… are all determining how the X-Men should be reshaped for this new era.”
Overlord DVD then provided some examples, “Does Wolverine smoke? Does Gambit? How do other characters’ vices or orientations come into play with audiences?”
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr in X-Men: First Class
A little later in the video he continues the scoop he received from WDW Pro, “Marvel knows that audience participation is down. That’s the key stat to know about. It doesn’t matter if they have equal or higher revenues during a time of heavy inflation. It matters if people are going to Marvel movies and if they’re buying Marvel merchandise. The answer to both of those, according to multiple sources, is that they are diminishing. That’s not even to touch on the situation with Disney+ MCU live action problems.”
“So Feige finds himself in a new place. The X-Men will not simply be put out into the market under the direction of himself and his directors and his writers. They are getting focus grouped,” he continues. “This is an all hands on deck situation to repopularize the MCU.”
“Disney and Bob Chapek do not want Marvel becoming Star Wars, a franchise that is theatrically dead and commercially no longer evergreen,” he concluded.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s OBI-WAN KENOBI, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
After providing some brief commentary he continued the scoop saying, “The delay in some of these films especially Secret Wars is convenient for Marvel and Disney because it buys them time on the research side, but also in acquiring the talent they want.”
“I am told that they desired the Hugh Jackman announcement for D23, but were unable to finalize details in time,” he went on. “There are other big actors I’m told that are related to X-Men that they don’t have yet and they want to acquire prior to the script. Specifically, I do not believe they have Halle Berry signed on yet to reprise Storm. And multiple sources tell me they’re hearing they’re working on that at this time. They also want Famke Janssen because they want Dark Phoenix to be a plot device in the multiverse.”
“Finally, I’m told they may already have Patrick Stewart signed on for multiple movies as Professor X, but they also want his likeness in the same way they have Mark Hamill and James Earle Jones’ voice. You can imagine why they would want Stewart’s version of Professor X for perpetuity,” he detailed.
Halle Berry as Storm in X-Men: The Last Stand
Next, he stated, “Remember what the lesson was from Solo for right or wrong? Audiences want to see the original actors playing the characters they’re known for. That was the Kathleen Kennedy takeaway. But Marvel has hit a snag in acquiring everyone they need for the Multiverse Saga. Getting Hugh Jackman was a big deal. Getting Andrew Garfield, which I’m told is basically done is a big deal.
“Getting this next wave of Marvel heroes to successfully launch is a decade, two decade impact,” the rumor states. “And Phase 4 was essentially a failure at creating any momentum. Marvel has had to exact a requirement that some retailers take Phase 4 merchandise bundled with Avengers merch because otherwise the retailers won’t sell the C tier character towels, mugs, action figures etc…”
(L-R): Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Karun (Harish Patel), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Sprite (Lia McHugh), and Sersi (Gemma Chan) in Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS. Photo by Sophie Mutevelian. © 2021 Marvel Studios. All Rights Reserved.
“Some of these delays are not a reshuffling, but instead an opportunity to get contracts finalized for big names to bring back original actors where needed,” the rumor reiterates.
“It’s at least nice to know that they have a problem behind closed doors. The Victoria Alonso strategies just haven’t materialized in success. They can’t get rid of She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Moon Knight merchandise. They’re ready to transition to actual money makers and they’re desperate to get it right,” he concluded.
(L-R): Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock and Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer “Jen” Walters in Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2022 MARVEL.
The idea that Marvel Studios is moving forward with the X-Men makes a lot of sense. They did recently announced Deadpool 3 with Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine.
On top of that announcement, The Hollywood Reporter revealed they pushed back Fantastic Four to February 14, 2025 from November 8, 2024 and moved back Avengers: Secret Wars from November 7, 2025 to May 1, 2026.
Source: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Marvel Entertainment
RELATED: Ms. Marvel Season Finale Ditches Kamala Khan’s Inhuman Origin, Confirms Her Mutant DNA
It was also teased that Ms. Marvel might actually be a mutant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe despite being an Inhuman in the comics.
Bruno informs Kamala, “Kamala, there’s something different in your genes. Like…a mutation.” While he’s telling her this a sample of the X-Men: The Animated Series‘ theme song plays in the background.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios’ MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
As for the parts of the rumor regarding Marvel wanting actors to reprise their role that also appears to be right out of their playbook as they had both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their role as Peter Parker and Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Patrick Stewart also reprised his role as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Similarly, Marvel also had Evan Peters show up in WandaVision as Pietro Maximoff albeit that cameo was turned into a lewd joke representative of just how far Marvel Studios has fallen in such a quick time.
Source: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Marvel Entertainment
RELATED: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Actor Tenoch Huerta Attempts To Justify Removal Of Atlantis
While Overlord DVD seems to be optimistic about this new rumor if it is indeed true, Marvel Studios has not shown a shred of evidence of changing course. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that they’ve actually doubled down with She-Hulk on insulting what used to be their core fans.
The upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film also decided to insult fans by casting Tenoch Huerta as Namor and then completing changing the origin story of the Atlanteans. In fact, they aren’t even Atlanteans anymore. They are now from a city called Talokan and instead of being inspired by the Greek philosopher Plato’s works Timaeus and Critias, it’s inspired by Mesoamerican cultures.
Director Ryan Coogler makes this abundantly clear when he states, “In our story, he represents Talokan, a hidden underwater civilization that is our reimagined version of the comic book realm of Atlantis.”
Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor in Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. Photo by Eli Adé. © 2022 MARVEL.
Aside from all these points, Disney CEO Bob Chapek also made it abundantly clear that the goal of the company is to groom young children and indoctrinate viewers into disordered and immoral lifestyles.
In an email to Disney employees in February in response to a bill in Florida that banned the grooming of children in public schools from Kindergarten through Third Grade February, Chapek wrote, “And because this struggle is much bigger than any one bill in any one state, I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support.”
Chapek continued, “There’s a reason content is at the top of this list. For nearly a century, our company’s stories have opened minds, inspired dreams, shown the world both as it is and how we wish it could be, and now more than ever before, represent the incredible diversity of our society.”
“We are telling important stories, raising voices, and I believe, changing hearts and minds,” he added.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 23: (L-R) Natalie Portman and Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer of Disney attend the Thor: Love and Thunder World Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in [Hollywood], California on June 23, 2022. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney)
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