The launch of the MCU’s X-Men era with X-Men ’97 has set an incredibly high standard, perhaps too high for the upcoming live-action reboot of the Children of the Atom. Just as Fox’s X-Men franchise faced the daunting task of following up after Logan, Marvel now faces the challenge of ensuring that its upcoming live-action adaptation matches the excellence of the recent Disney Plus animation.
One can’t help but wonder if the project could have had a fighting chance at meeting these lofty expectations with the involvement of Jordan Peele. The rumor mill churned in early June with whispers of the Get Out filmmaker meeting with Marvel Studios for a mysterious project. However, subsequent revelations may leave fans initially ecstatic but ultimately disappointed.
According to reports from One Take News, Peele did indeed have a meeting with Marvel, and it was specifically for the X-Men reboot. The prospect of Peele infusing his distinct vision into the world of mutants within the MCU is undeniably exciting. However, it appears that the stars didn’t align, as the collaboration “didn’t work out” for reasons undisclosed.
Despite this setback, there’s a glimmer of hope for future collaboration between Peele and Marvel, albeit not on this particular project. Nevertheless, fans are understandably disappointed, akin to the collective disappointment felt upon witnessing Dark Phoenix for the first time.
The task now falls to whoever steps into the director’s chair for the X-Men reboot. They face the daunting challenge of living up to the concept of Jordan Peele’s X-Men, a notion that may linger in the minds of Marvel enthusiasts for years to come. Just as Edgar Wright’s near-miss with Ant-Man still stings for fans nearly a decade later, Peele’s potential involvement in the X-Men project may haunt discussions for years to come.
As of now, screenwriter Michael Lesslie has been entrusted with penning the screenplay for the X-Men reboot, though no release date has been set. Meanwhile, fans eagerly await Peele’s next horror venture, Him, slated for release on September 19, 2025.
