The X-Men are inching closer to their grand entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a standalone movie on the horizon. Screenwriter Michael Lesslie, who penned the script for "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," is currently in negotiations with Marvel Studios to craft the first "X-Men" film since Disney acquired the mutant superhero franchise in its 2019 purchase of 21st Century Fox.
As with every Marvel Studios production, Kevin Feige will helm the project as producer, but the film's other details, including the director and cast, remain shrouded in mystery. Marvel has been gradually introducing mutants into the MCU over the past two years, with fleeting mentions in "Ms. Marvel" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in 2022, and cameo appearances by Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) in an alternate universe in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and Beast (Kelsey Grammer) in the post-credits sequence of "The Marvels" in 2023.
Recently, Marvel Studios has enjoyed its most critically acclaimed outings in years with the Disney+ animated series "X-Men '97," a sequel to the animated "X-Men" show from the 1990s that exists in its own unique timeline. The excitement surrounding the potential "X-Men" movie is palpable, as fans eagerly await the mutants' official arrival in the MCU.
British-born Lesslie embarked on his illustrious career in 2007, transforming the 1994 film "Swimming With Sharks" into a captivating theatrical production that premiered in the heart of London's West End. He then delivered a masterful adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" for Justin Kurzel's 2015 feature film, a star-studded production featuring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The trio reunited once again for the thrilling 2016 adventure "Assassin's Creed."
In 2018, Lesslie took on the dual role of executive producer and co-writer for the BBC/AMC limited series "The Little Drummer Girl," a captivating adaptation of John le Carré's novel directed by the renowned Park Chan-wook. The series boasted an impressive cast including Michael Shannon, Alexander Skarsgard, and Florence Pugh.
Most recently, Lesslie has produced and penned a feature film adaptation of "Hamlet," starring Riz Ahmed, Joe Alwyn, Morfydd Clark, and Timothy Spall. Directed by Aneil Karia, the filmmaker behind "Top Boy," this fresh interpretation promises to be a thrilling modern-day take on the classic Shakespearean tale. Additionally, Lesslie is currently co-writing the eagerly awaited sequel "Now You See Me 3," sure to delight audiences with another round of mind-bending illusions and excitement.
