Bear in mind, this is a quintessential “big if true” report; but if it’s factual, kudos to Jordan Peele for not taking the MCU bait. One Take News reports (via TheInSneider) that the “NOPE” director met the Marvel Studios a while back to discuss an upcoming project. And while it’s not confirmed, (nor is it confirmed that the meeting indeed happened) the meet-up was to discuss Marvel‘s upcoming “X-Men” movie.
Peele doing an MCU film? It’s doubtful that combo excites many cinephiles, who’d rather see Peele continue his string of genre films, each arguably better than the last. But if this report is true, it shows that Marvel Studios may be desperate for a big name to come in and give a big future release the personal treatment. And Peele is arguably Hollywood’s most original cinematic voice today, at least for his generation. If Marvel wants guaranteed hits on its future calendar, like in the MCU’s heyday, Peele is the guy to ask.
But it’s telling that nothing came of this reported meeting. For one, Peele likes to write and direct his movies, and that kind of auteurist flair is rare in the MCU. And with “The Hunger Games: A Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes” writer Michael Lesslie already attached to “X-Men,” Peele wouldn’t have the creative freedom he’s used to. Then there’s the elephant in the room: the MCU’s imminent downfall. No amount of schedule shifts for Phases 5 & 6 will overshadow the grim reality that the once all-powerful juggernaut that is Marvel Studios is on the wane. Not even “Deadpool & Wolverine” will save Kevin Feige‘s fortunes, and Peele, an original voice with creative merit, likely doesn’t want to go down with a sinking ship.
Still, Hollywood is a funny business, so it makes sense that Peele and Marvel met up in the first place. If “X-Men” (or whatever the project Peele met about) didn’t work out, that doesn’t mean the filmmaker and studio don’t want to work together. But personal preference says Peele should stick with whatever he’s cooking up next with Universal. That project was initially slated for a Christmas 2024 theatrical release but was taken off the calendar due to last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
It comes down to this: Jordan Peele is one of the premier cinematic voices of this generation, while the sand in the hourglass is starting to trickle down for the MCU. Why would Peele jump on a Marvel project when the studio’s time at the top of the Hollywood mountain is almost up? A movie about mutants by Peele would be cool, but not as cool as whatever he’s planning to make next.