Two weeks ago, 20th Century Fox hired Brian Michael Bendis to hash out a script for Tim Miller’s X-Men movie (Kitty Pryde, it seems) and sent out a clear message that, yes, the studio will continue to operate as planned even after Disney’s $52.4 billion mega-merger.
In fact, according to sources close to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox’s pool of creators are going “100 miles per hour” on the likes of Doctor Doom, Silver Surfer, and any other X-Men spinoff currently in development, of which there are quite a few.
If anything, Fox brass have noticed a marked uptick in production – particularly after the back-to-back success of Deadpool and James Mangold’s Logan. Here’s what one insider told THR:
We actually have way more in development and production in Marvel IP than at any point in the history of the studio. There’s been zero slowdown on that front given Disney.
It’s business as usual, then, particularly with Fox planning to launch no less than five X-Men movies in the next two years. Up first is the R-rated Deadpool sequel, before Simon Kinberg lights the spark on Dark Phoenix. And after that? The New Mutants, which was recently hit with a 10-month delay, before Channing Tatum’s Gambit movie finally sees the light of day.
There are also plans in place for an X-Force spinoff from Drew Goddard, and while many feared that Disney would pump the brakes on Fox’s R-rated content once the acquisition was complete, it’s looking increasingly likely that both film slates will continue to unfold as planned – for now, at least.
Here’s what another source told The Hollywood Reporter:
They have to proceed as business as usual in case the merger doesn’t go through. It’s a unique position to be in.
There are still many questions to be answered, then, but at least for now, fans can continue to enjoy Marvel and 20th Century Fox content for what it is, safe in the knowledge that both franchises – the X-Men and the MCU – are headed toward a very bright and prosperous future.