Six Ways to Successfully Reboot the FOX X-Men Franchise
Yesterday, we shared the news that FOX is strongly considering, or is very much in the process of, rebooting the entire X-Men film franchise. Why? Well, as mentioned in the previous article, X-Men Apocalypse suffered a critical and financial downturn, the contracts for more notable actors are ending, and there seems to be a good number of creative issues popping up around future X-films going into production. So, with FOX presumably ready to wipe the slate clean and start anew, we’re positively brimming with specific strategies FOX should employ to make this reboot an unqualified success. So, without further ado, here are six ways to successfully reboot the FOX X-Men franchise:
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Give up, Give It to Marvel
Look, FOX, you gave it your all, and you certainly delivered in the beginning. But now? Well, you already rebooted once before, and your latest offering, Apocalypse, was kind of a poop-show; it seems your understanding of the X-characters diminishes with every cinematic offering. Because of this, you should take the opportunity to either hand over the rights entirely, or enter into a mutually beneficial relationship with Marvel Studios to assure the appropriate handling of your various X-characters.
Just look at the successful debut of the MCU’s Spider-Man after Sony came to their senses and handed it to a studio with a nearly immaculate track record, and, of course, a deeper understanding of Marvel characters.
And hell, wouldn’t you want to see the Avengers and the X-Men working together? Colossus, Thor, and the Hulk beating the hell out of an alien armada, or Thor and Storm electrifying clouds to combat said alien armada?
Of course, it would probably be more exciting to watch them….FIGHT! In the comics, the arbitrarily roving Terrigen Cloud is activating latent Inhumans and killing those with the once-coveted X-Gene.
Live-action translation: Perhaps the X-Men are hinted at in ABC’s AGENTS of SHIELD; a mysterious, immensely powerful group attacking Inhuman populations and decrying a newly spreading Terrigen Cloud devastating their species. This powerful, unidentified force claiming genocide? The X-Men. And when SHIELD admits these guerrilla attacks on Inhuman populations (and sympathizers) proves too much for the government-sanctioned force, they hand it over to the Avengers, who fight the crap out of them in a future Marvel film.
Just throwing this out there, but maybe we call the movie….Avengers vs. X-Men? What? You heard that before? Hmmm. Nah.
2. Recast Wolverine
FOX, you lost Jackman. It looks like he’s going out with a bang in James Mangold’s LOGAN, but he’s gone nonetheless; a dependably popular resource no longer at your disposal. BUT…you still have the role, so you still have the chance to reestablish the X-Men’s feral cash-cow. But you DAMN WELL better pick the right person. Jackman apparently favors Tom Hardy, so……yeah, just put some thought into it, FOX.
3. Keep Their Stories Grounded in the Present
Do NOT go back to the 70s, 80s, 90s, or even 2015. The X-Men are RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, and they’re dealing with Sentinels, the Marauders, and perhaps even Taylor Swift’s evil Instagram account that recently achieved self-awareness.
Look, I don’t ever want to see an X-person sporting bell-bottoms, chained necklaces, or elevator shoes EVER AGAIN!
4. Do NOT Start from the Beginning
We don’t need to see Professor X assembling the “original” team for like, the third time. Let’s take another cue from the Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures approach to cinematic Spider-Man Mark III; he’s already around, righting wrongs in his own little corner of the Marvel Universe.
So, let’s already have the team established; let’s make sure they have a capable Wolverine; and, if #1 transpires, let’s have them enter the MCU as a threat that demands a proportional response in the form of The Avengers.
5. Out with the Old……
Simon Kinberg had some good moments — X-Men: Days of Future Past was actually decent — but he was responsible for X-Men: The Last Stand, Apocalypse, and….the Fantastic Four movie that kind of sucked poop-nuggets. If FOX really wants to refresh the X-Men, they should consider bringing in new creative talent to reinvigorate the franchise.
6. Evil Cyclops
Over the last few years, we watched Cyclops become more militaristic and increasingly more delusional; he allowed the formation of X-Force, a team of X-Men tasked with handling destructive X-foes with extreme prejudice, and he willingly accepted a portion of the Phoenix Force to…
1. Create and maintain a mutant utopia.
2. Kill everyone without the X-Gene.
Unfortunately, he had a COMPLETE SH*T-FIT and ended up killing Professor X. Now, he’s the hard-nosed leader of a group of X-Men who will do ANYTHING to ensure the survival of ‘Mutanity.’
Let’s see this. Let’s see an already established team (Point #4!!), and a version of Cyclops who is losing faith in Xavier’s dream of coexistence. Let’s watch the X-Men, already enveloped in conflict with the Inhumans (Point #1), suffer from conflicts within as the team’s moral center comes apart at the seams.
So, any more suggestions to truly lift the X-Men franchise to greatness? Let’s hear it!