The MCU’s X-Men movie has just received a major update, with a report revealing the casting direction for the film and its release. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been ramping up for an X-Men revival for a few years now, with plenty of rumors about who will take over the roles from those in the original franchise.
Now, in a report by Variety, sources say that casting will begin soon, and Marvel has indicated to reps that they are looking for a younger cast for the X-Men movie, instead of A-listers. The report says that this decision is to keep costs down for the Marvel film, as post-COVID movies have been suffering compared to previous installments.
Back in May 2024, Marvel’s X-Men movie had found its writer in Michael Lesslie, and Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier was set to direct. According to Variety’s report, the script is being fine-tuned by the studio. Furthermore, Marvel is holding a July 23, 2027, release date for an unnamed film, sparking hope for X-Men’s possible arrival into the MCU.
That said, sources say this July 2027 release date won’t be filled by the X-Men movie, although they don’t offer much more information on that. In other scheduling news, sources also report low priority for the long-delayed Blade movie or a possible ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 4. Instead, there seems to be a buzz about Black Panther 3, led by Ryan Coogler.
What This Means For Marvel’s X-Men Movie
X-Men’s MCU Debut Has Been Teased
X-Men’s arrival into the MCU has been long-awaited as the franchise gears up for its next phase post-Endgame. The original X-Men movie franchise was a success back in the early 2000s, with Hugh Jackman leading as Wolverine. With Jackman’s reappearance in the MCU via ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine, there is certainly a lot of excitement to see a full X-Men revival.
Previous rumors slated Sadie Sink, Harris Dickinson, and Julia ʙuттers as some of the actors being considered for roles in the X-Men movie. With Variety’s new report, this looks like it could be a possibility, as they are still up-and-coming actors, fitting their requirements of not casting A-listers. However, there is no official casting confirmation for Marvel’s X-Men yet.
Our Take On Marvel’s Movie Priorities
Blade’s Low Priority Is Disappointing But Understandable
Mahershala Ali’s Blade movie received an update just last month, with writer David Goyer stating that “we’re in a good place,” but further developments from Marvel have been slow. Therefore, it’s quite disappointing that Marvel considers the Blade movie a low priority, especially considering Wesley Snipes’ recent appearance in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine brought a lot of hype back.
However, Blade’s low prioritization makes sense as the Marvel Cinematic Universe gears up for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, and the return of X-Men’s Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.
In fact, as a result of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine, Marvel could have jumped on the excitement of the properties involved with those starring in them, including X-Men and Blade. However, Blade’s low prioritization makes sense as the Marvel Cinematic Universe gears up for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, and the return of X-Men’s Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.
Sources: Variety
