The X-Men are finally getting a proper MCU movie after years of waiting. According to the film’s writer, the upcoming movie will be focusing on what makes the characters so great, and here’s why that’s the right move.
Why X-Men focusing on more character-first stories is the right move
In an interview with Men’s Health recently, writer Lee Sung Jin (who also wrote Marvel Studios‘ Thunderbolts*) opened up a bit about the upcoming X-Men movie, which he’ll write for director Jake Schreier. Jin noted that the movie is going to get back to “focusing on the characters” of the X-Men first.
“These are amazing characters with very rich backstories full of so much emotion. There are so many intra-team dynamics and relationships. There’s soapy stuff. And sure, there are political themes baked into the DNA of X-Men too, and those are evergreen, but we want to get back to character-first storytelling,” said Jin.
Jin’s comments struck a chord with fans almost immediately, particularly because it’s a facet of the X-Men that the live-action movies often get wrong, or rarely touch on in any way. Part of what makes the X-Men group so entertaining to watch or read is the fact that all of them feel like fully fleshed out characters interacting with one another in a group setting. There’s tension amongst some, deeper friendships among others, and tons of inter-personal drama throughout.
While the live-action movies often focus on this specifically in regard to Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey’s complicated relationship, the X-Men are much more than just a love triangle. As projects like the iconic animated show and Disney+’s X-Men ’97 show, nearly every member of the group has their own very rich backstory and emotional connection to various members of the group. We’ve yet to see that properly explored in a movie, but with the X-Men officially coming to MCU, there’s more room to explore that.
Previously, live-action X-Men movies have all focused largely on a few of the same characters, and always sees them dealing with a large threat. In MCU films, specifically ensemble projects, there’s usually been more room to “breathe,” so to speak, and allow for characters to build up relationships with one another. This is perfect for the X-Men, who can still go about appearing in larger films like Avengers projects, but then get right back to the character-focused stuff fans want in their own movies.
