X-Men MCU reboot release date speculation, cast rumours and news

Now, the prevailing theory seems to be that Doomsday and Secret Wars will bid a dramatic farewell to the older continuity, unless Hugh Jackman does indeed choose to keep playing Wolverine until he's 90.

It's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been navigating choppy waters in recent years, which is perhaps why the studio is in talks with one of the few filmmakers to deliver them a recent hit with critics.

Read on for all the latest news, rumours and speculation on the X-Men reboot – including a possible release window for the hotly anticipated project.

X-Men MCU reboot release date speculation

Marvel has yet to announce when its X-Men reboot will be released, but we do know that it will be sometime after 2027's mega-crossover event Avengers: Secret Wars.

Speaking at a Disney content showcase (via Deadline), producer Kevin Feige confirmed as much: "I think you will see that [mutants storyline] continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognise.

"Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, [it's] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back."

It seems likely that this "new age" will involve recasting at least some of the existing characters, despite Deadpool & Wolverine's gag that the actors are contracted until they reach 90 years old (notably, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are almost there).

X-Men fans have been waiting a long time to see the beloved team reassemble in live-action, with an MCU incarnation originally announced at 2019's San Diego Comic-Con – shortly after Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

Alas, it isn't over yet: while there's no confirmed timeline just yet, we wouldn't expect to see the MCU's X-Men reboot in cinemas any sooner than 2028.

In the meantime, though, characters from the Fox films have been added to the Avengers: Doomsday cast.

Which X-Men are already in the MCU?

Marvel Studios has introduced several X-Men characters into the MCU in recent years, with 2023's box office smash-hit Deadpool & Wolverine adding two of the most popular mutants.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprised their respective roles from earlier entries, for a cameo-filled extravaganza that also folded Dafne Keen's Laura (aka X-23) and Channing Tatum's long-delayed Gambit into MCU continuity.

Prior to that film, we'd seen Patrick Stewart reprise the role of Charles Xavier aka Professor X for an alternate universe scene featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Alas, that version of the character was made short work of by an out-of-control Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), meaning that he'll be playing an entirely separate variant – likely the original Fox version – in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

Another direct X-Men connection was established in 2023's The Marvels, with a perplexing post-credits scene that saw Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) seemingly transported to an alternate universe.

There, she was shocked to be faced by her mother, Maria (Lashana Lynch), and a certain mutated scientist named Hank McCoy aka Beast (played by Kelsey Grammer, returning from Fox's X-Men films The Last Stand and Days of Future Past).

Grammer is one of the legacy X-Men actors confirmed to be returning for Avengers: Doomsday, so here's hoping we'll get some resolution to that confounding plot twist in the imminent blockbuster.

Joining Stewart and Grammer – in what could be a swan-song for the original X-Men cast – are Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique.

In terms of original mutants, the MCU also has Kamala Khan aka Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani), who was revealed to have mutant genes at the end of her six-part introductory Disney Plus series.

At the time, Vellani told Marvel.com: "I emailed Kevin Feige in all caps. I was like, 'Are you doing this like for real? Are you sure? I'm so honoured!' I was like yelling at him through an email. I was freaking out.

"This is the biggest deal in the world, and the fact that it's happening in our show is crazy."

Notably, this is a major change from the comic books, where the character was originally an Inhuman (although, the source material has since been retroactively tweaked to match up with the live-action version).

Aligning Kamala with the considerably more popular X-Men should ensure she has a bright future in the MCU, although comic book purists may be irked to see her shoehorned into iconic storylines that she never originally appeared in.

Besides individuals, Marvel has also introduced a key location from the X-Men lore to its cinematic universe, that being Wolverine's favoured hideout Madripoor – which was depicted in 2021's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

Could that be where Jackman's clawed mutant headed after the events of Deadpool & Wolverine? We'll just have to wait and see.

X-Men reboot cast rumours: Who could star?

Marvel is yet to announce any cast members for its MCU-set reboot of the X-Men, but there are plenty of rumours circulating as to who could inherit the wide range of iconic roles.

Some of the speculative fan castings that have gained the most attraction include Taron Egerton as Wolverine, Harris Dickinson as Cyclops and Julia Butters as Kitty Pryde – but not one of them is confirmed right now.

Addressing the online chatter, Egerton told The New York Times: "I'd be excited but I'd be apprehensive as well, because Hugh [Jackman] is so associated with the role that I'd wonder if it'd be very difficult for someone else to do it.

"Hopefully if it does come around, they'll give me a shot."

Additionally, the rumour mill started spinning into overdrive when Stranger Things breakout star Sadie Sink bagged a mystery role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with some online commenters questioning whether she could be the MCU's Jean Grey.

Things do appear to be taking shape behind the camera, however, with screenwriter Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) and director Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*) reportedly eyeing the project.

Marvel Cinematic Universe films and streaming shows are available on Disney Plus.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.