X-Men Reboot Script Reportedly Sets Up Apocalypse as the MCU's Next Big Bad

The X-Men reboot and the soft reboot of the MCU are both coming less than two years from now, after Avengers: Secret Wars, and there is new word on what to expect from the mutants and the next saga's big bad. It might be the villain everyone assumes, or it might not be, because Marvel appears to be heading down a road it has traveled before with the X-Men.

Kevin Feige Hints the Mutant Saga Will Learn From the X-Men's Past

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently addressed how the studio is approaching the mutant saga, noting that the X-Men already had ten movies. He said, "X-Men already had 10 movies. Some very, very good... Some, I think, haven't lived up to expectations. How do we plan the mutant saga in a very grand way?"

That is a polite way of putting it, but I read it as Feige acknowledging that some of those stories need to be redone properly this time. A lot of people have said they do not want certain paths repeated, like the Phoenix, because they have already been done. I take Feige's comment as Marvel signaling it will revisit some of the same territory and get it right. I feel the same way about Doctor Doom, since there has not been a great adaptation of the character yet, and Doomsday looks like it could finally deliver one.

Apocalypse Is Reportedly Being Set Up as a Threat Bigger Than Thanos

The mutants are reportedly being built toward a very large villain for the next part of the MCU, an X-Men villain who could end up being a threat to everyone, one that might take the X-Men, the Avengers, the Eternals and the Fantastic Four combined to beat. I will not say this buildup is bigger than Doctor Doom's, since there was not much setup for Doom before Doomsday, but after Doomsday that comparison might hold, and this could end up being bigger than Thanos.

That claim comes from an insider who has reportedly been right about a lot before and wrong about a lot before, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. The insider pointed out how similar the approach from the studio behind the upcoming Wolverine game is to what the MCU is reportedly doing: in that game, Mr. Sinister is the villain, working for Apocalypse, who only appears as a voice and is teased as the villain of the studio's upcoming X-Men game. In the MCU's X-Men reboot, Mr. Sinister is reportedly also working for Apocalypse and will reportedly have a cameo, setting him up as the big bad of the next saga.

Another insider also said that Mr. Sinister will appear in multiple projects in the next chapter of the MCU rather than being a one-and-done character, which is great to hear, and Apocalypse should absolutely not be a one-and-done either. He should be built up properly.

Jake Schreier Confirms Jean Grey and Cyclops Are the Reboot's Focus

There is already a script for the X-Men reboot, and the project is in the early stages of pre-production. Director Jake Schreier, who also directed Thunderbolts, has been working on the X-Men for a while with a newer group of writers who have been on the project for some time. Schreier confirmed the focus of the film, saying of Jean Grey: "She is a founding member of the X-Men and we will follow her story."

That lines up with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which set up a lot for the future of the X-Men. Jean Grey and Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, are going to be the focus of the reboot, which makes sense given Mr. Sinister's presence, since their son goes on to become Cable, something already shown in X-Men '97. Many fans have said that if the live-action film follows the same dramatic style as X-Men '97, it will work well, and that is a sentiment worth agreeing with. X-Men '97 season one was excellent and season two was good too.

The script has reportedly been finished for a while, though it will keep getting tweaked, and filming is expected to start soon, probably somewhat simultaneously with Avengers: Secret Wars or shortly after. The Russo brothers have already confirmed they are in pre-production on Secret Wars and preparing to film, and they have finished most of the editing on Doomsday. They have also confirmed they are staying on board past Secret Wars, even if only in a consulting capacity, to help close out this era of the MCU and transition into the next one.

Leaked Script Description Reportedly Blends Thunderbolts, First Class, Batman v Superman and Breakfast Club

A source who reportedly read the X-Men reboot script had nothing but praise for it, describing it this way: "If Thunderbolts, X-Men First Class, Batman v Superman and the Breakfast Club had a baby, it would be this." The Batman v Superman comparison in particular has people talking, and this should be taken with a grain of salt, but there is a reasonable explanation for why it could be accurate.

The Thunderbolts connection makes sense because Schreier directed that film, and it is about a group, essentially a family, coming together, which fits the X-Men. The First Class connection also tracks, since some of that team's characters are already confirmed for the project, with hopes for Beast, Iceman and possibly Angel. Even without knowing the full lineup, this is still a First Class style story because in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Jean is not with the X-Men yet and does not appear to know who Professor Xavier is. She is confirmed to appear in Secret Wars alongside other X-Men, and she might even show up in Avengers: Doomsday, possibly in a post-credits scene or right at the end.

Why the Batman v Superman Comparison Could Fit Jean Grey's Story

What Jean did in Brand New Day matters here. She did real damage to how mutants are perceived, controlling and freezing a number of people. Marvel confirmed, in a behind the scenes snippet, that the man she caused to be hit by a car survived. That did not cause an issue watching it, since this is a young Jean Grey trying to do anything she can to save her sister, which is why Professor X's role matters, he is the one who helps her grow and helps her morals and personality change. But the damage to mutants' public image is done, and it is going to make people believe mutants are dangerous, especially once other mutants start doing questionable or bad things too.

That is going to create a divide between humans and mutants, but also a divide among the mutants themselves over how they should behave in society. Magneto is coming with his Brotherhood, and there is likely to be real conflict over how to handle someone with power like Jean's if she is stifled. Picture Professor X telling her she is incredibly gifted but cannot go around New York City mind controlling people or getting them hit by cars, while she is still a young Jean Grey who will presumably grow into the character comics readers know.

So when the description mentions Batman v Superman, it brings to mind the Brotherhood versus the X-Men, but also a divide within the X-Men itself over how mutants should exist in society, similar to the friction between Xavier and Magneto in First Class, with some mutants siding with each side. I think Batman v Superman gets a lot of hate online right now, and there are some really bad elements to that movie but also some really good elements, and some of what worked there could work for a mutant feud storyline that leads toward Sentinels, Mr. Sinister and Apocalypse, which is the confirmed direction. That is exactly the kind of X-Men story worth seeing on screen.

On the Discord, reactions to this were mixed. One commenter named big man skill said the idea sounded insane, without being sure whether that was good or bad. Another named Uluerrera said they hoped the Batman v Superman comparison meant a battle between two different ideologies and government intrigue, calling the Breakfast Club and First Class combination perfect and saying they could not wait to see it. That reading of a battle between two ideologies with government involvement lines up with how this is being interpreted here too, especially once the fallout from Brand New Day starts getting reported.

The Bigger Picture: Sentinels, Trask and a Possible Avengers/X-Men Clash

This all points toward the confirmed direction for the X-Men: mutants versus humanity, eventually leading to Sentinels, and building toward Mr. Sinister and Apocalypse. There is a theory here that a government response to what Jean did could eventually connect to Bolivar Trask and the Sentinels down the line, though that is simply a personal read on where things are headed. Based on the fan reactions, this also likely means the X-Men in this film are not an established team yet, they come together over the course of it, which makes sense since Professor Xavier recruiting them is a story that has not been told in the MCU, and Secret Wars is unlikely to pause to give the team an origin story.

Combine Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister with Sentinels eventually arriving, and the MCU looks to be heading into a genuinely great stretch after Doomsday and Secret Wars. Doomsday and Secret Wars are already considered peak, but that peak seems set to continue into the next saga once the Avengers start interacting, and likely clashing, with the X-Men. There are also reports of an AXE event, Avengers, X-Men and Eternals fighting each other before eventually teaming up against a Celestial.

Does an X-Men story built around a Batman v Superman style divide between mutants and humanity sound exciting, or does that comparison give pause?