How is Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige going to introduce mutants and the X-Men, specifically, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We don’t really have any idea, at this point. And when you talk to famed ‘X-Men’ franchise producer-filmmaker Simon Kinberg, he’s not sure either, but he’s willing to bet it’s going to be great, regardless.
In an upcoming episode of The Discourse podcast, while promoting his new series “Invasion” on Apple TV+, Simon Kinberg talked about the future of the ‘X-Men’ franchise in relation to how it will be introduced in the MCU now that Marvel Studios has control of the rights. As you probably are aware, for two decades Fox was making hugely popular ‘X-Men’ films with Simon Kinberg serving as producer (and sometimes writer or director) on many of them. And when asked how he would like to see the X-Men characters folded into the MCU, he’s not willing to fully endorse a reboot, if only because of his personal connections to the cast he worked with for years.
“Gosh, it’s hard for me to answer that truly, not in a sense of NDA’s and I’m going to get sniped through the window right now because there’s that too,” explained Kinberg. “But it’s hard because when you work with actors for so long, you have such an emotional connection to them, it’s not an objective connection to them, it’s a subjective connection to them.”
“For me, ‘Days of Future Past’ was like the dream – being able to unite both of those casts. I’d started with the original cast. I then continued with the ‘First Class’ cast…so it’s hard for me to answer that because I love that cast, but, having said that, and this is not to dodge the question, it’s just the honest answer. I’m constantly surprised in a good way by what Kevin [Feige] and Marvel do with that universe and I’m constantly amazed by the innovations and the chances they take. So, I would say, I just trust whatever they do with the X-Men universe is going to be surprising and original and innovative and wildly satisfying.”
And Kinberg isn’t just excited by the prospect of the X-Men joining the MCU. In fact, he’s also (jokingly) threatening to become a criminal to get a copy of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” before Sony can release the film in theaters. He and his son are just desperate to see what the studio has up its sleeve.
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“I live literally next door to [‘Spider-Man’ producer] Amy Pascal,” he said. “And I was watching the new ‘Spider-Man’ trailer with my twelve-year-old son, who’s like obsessed with Marvel…and I was saying to him, and Amy’s a friend, but I was like we need to sneak into Amy’s house and find her server somewhere where we can watch this movie because I can’t wait another week or two.”
While he’s definitely going to be a big supporter of the Marvel superhero properties, Kinberg is currently wrapping up the first season of his new Apple TV+ series, “Invasion,” which you can stream now. And if you want to hear the full discussion, the next episode of The Discourse is coming to The Playlist Podcast Network soon.