Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is doubling down on his assertion that there are no plans to include the X-Men or Fantastic Four in the Marvel Cinematic Universe just set. With a potential merger between Disney and Fox on the horizon, fans are busy imagining ways the MCU might integrate the properties into Phase Four. But Feige’s latest statement on the subject echoes his previous comments that it’s “too soon” to talk about the X-Men and Fantastic Four joining the established Avengers roster.
Feige told the Los Angeles Daily News that he won’t start planning anything “until we’re given the word.” Fox shareholders will cast their vote on Disney’s $71.3 billion offer at the end of July, but even then, a merger and rebooted Fantastic Four movie/X-Men universe are still a long way off. “I have vague dreams and vague ideas,” he said. “But right now, bringing to life the 10,000-plus characters that Marvel fully controls is what the game plan is.”
Although Phase Four begins next summer with Spider-Man: Far From Home, Feige remains focused on wrapping Phase Three. “My desire is to get Ant-Man and The Wasp in theatres and successful,” he said. “Then complete filming on Captain Marvel this week and to get the next Spider-Man on camera, then to continue to work on Avengers 4 in the cutting room. I’m very busy for the foreseeable future.”
While the Fantastic Four are in limbo following Josh Trunk’s 2015 reboot, the X-Men franchise still has a full slate in development. After the recent box office domination of Dead pool 2, there is also Drew Goddard’s X-Force and the delayed releases of X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants. The MCU is confirmed to have another 20-plus movies planned for after Avengers 4, and the studio is already looking at its slate up to 2025.
The wait for mutants in the MCU could be a long one, but the Los Angeles Daily News noted that Feige’s latest comments were made “not entirely convincingly.” Whether he’s attempting to throw fans off the scent or he really does have no concrete plans to introduce the X-Men and Fantastic Four, there is still plenty to look forward to as the MCU continues its winning streak as the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time.
Ant-Man and The Wasp is in theatre’s now, followed by Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, Avengers 4 on May 3, 2019, and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.
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