Deadline: Lee Sung Jin Teases A Bold New Direction for Marvel Studios’ X-MEN Reboot

Marvel Studios’ upcoming live-action X-Men reboot continues to take shape, and another intriguing update has from co-writer Lee Sung Jin.

Speaking with Deadline while discussing his acclaimed Netflix series Beef, Sung Jin was asked about his work on the next X-Men film, which he is co-writing alongside Joanna Calo and director Jake Schreier.

According to Sung Jin, the creative team isn’t interested in playing it safe.

“Truthfully, it’s same parameters on this project, which is so exciting. I’d say there were actually more parameters on Thunderbolts because it was plugging into an existing arc and existing characters, whereas with X-Men, Kevin [Feige] just wants to take a big swing and start anew, not be beholden to any of the movies that have come before. And Jake Schreier has such a clear vision in terms of wanting to get back to character first, and to what is exciting about those early [Chris] Claremont-run comics, which was all about team dynamics. There were a lot of soapy elements to those comics. We’ve been in the room every day together. Kevin and Louis [D’Esposito] are so dialed in, and they have such incredible instincts that it’s been fun to just blue-sky.

I’m such a big fan of that IP of the comics. My dad and I, every Saturday morning, used to watch the show on television, so to be able to look around this Marvel conference room and have every X-Men character on the board and be able to spitball and freestyle on, ‘What about this person?’ It’s so emboldening, because you’re like, ‘Oh, wow, this isn’t going to be a safe movie. This is actually going to be a really exciting new take.’”

For longtime X-Men fans, that may be the most encouraging takeaway yet. The emphasis on character-driven storytelling, team dynamics, and inspiration from Chris Claremont’s iconic comic book run suggests Marvel Studios is looking to recapture the heart of what made the mutants resonate with generations of readers.

When asked what he feels beholden to while writing such a beloved franchise, Sung Jin pointed directly to the fans, and his younger self.

“It’s, ‘Would younger me want to run to the movie theater to watch this? Are we honoring all the amazing work that the comics set up? Are we playing it safe? Are we pushing things?’ It’s just trying to look at my childhood self, who loved these characters so much, and making sure we’re doing right by him and all the other fans that love X-Men.”

While Marvel Studios has yet to officially reveal the film’s roster, cast, or story details, Sung Jin’s comments paint a picture of a creative team focused on delivering a fresh, ambitious take on the X-Men mythos; one that honors the comics while forging a new path for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Source: Deadline

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