Why We Never Saw These X-Men Movies
The "X-Men" film franchise was one of the superhero genre's first bonafide success stories. After debuting in 2000 to decent reviews and solid gold box office, Marvel's mutants added a new level of legitimacy to comic book adaptations on film and provided a runway for other characters to make it to the silver screen. It's a shame, then, that a franchise once emblematic of its genre's greatest potential has since succumbed to its worst qualities: overcomplicated canon, problematic players behind the scenes (his name rhymes with Shmyan Shminger), and corporate interests milking spin-offs for all they could be worth, even as the udders run dry. If it weren't for the Disney-Fox merger and Marvel Studios' plan for mutant integration into the MCU, the "X-Men" franchise would be as close to dead-in-the-water as you can be.
In fairness, the X-Men became friendly with development hell long before its first film. There's just something about these gifted youngsters — and not-so-youngsters — that is difficult to translate from the comics. This isn't to say the "X-Men" films haven't had their fair share of home runs, but the fact that the franchise's laundry list of abandoned projects rivals the number of films they've actually produced might give you a sense of just how scatterbrained the powers-that-be can be. While we wait for the MCU to find some semblance of square one for these beloved icons, here's a history of the most enticing X-Films that were left in the dust.
The original Deadpool and Wolverine was very different
The Merc with a Mouth is a poster child for the X-Men's development woes, though with a more hopeful spin. Ryan Reynolds began pushing for a Deadpool film in 2003, but the character's raunchy, R-rated sensibility left Fox unsure if the film was economically feasible. One "leaked" piece of test footage later and now Deadpool himself is more lucrative than most recent "X-Men" films put together.
Similarly, Reynolds had been hopeful to one day pair his Deadpool with Hugh Jackman's iconic portrayal of Wolverine, bringing to life one of comics' most beloved pairings with their most beloved interpreters. Not too much is known about what that original film was going to be, but a casual post from Reynolds on X, formerly known as Twitter, revealed that it was going to be a road trip movie styled after Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon," in which the same story is told from multiple, often contradictory perspectives. How those two ideas were to be fused together is anyone's guess.
Of course, corporate greed had other plans. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, which unleashed the can of worms that was Deadpool in the MCU. The plot was rewritten into the multiverse-hopping version we'll all see come July 2024, but the fact that this film is seeing the light of day at all shows us that any of the remaining films on this list could, like Deadpool or Wolverine, remain alive, despite everything pointing to the contrary.
Marvel's original Civil War movie never materialized
In 2016, Marvel Studios brought the beloved "Civil War" comic book crossover to life in "Captain America: Civil War." However, years prior, Fox had begun developing their own crossover that would've gotten the jump on the MCU. According to "X-Men: First Class" screenwriter Zack Stentz, him and co-writer Ashley Edward Miller were hired to write a film that combined all of Fox's Marvel properties: The Fantastic Four, X-Men, Deadpool, and Daredevil, who was still owned by Fox at the time. Stentz didn't disclose plot details, but he revealed that Paul Greengrass had been approached to direct it and turned it down due to scheduling, so the project ultimately fizzled. Greengrass would later confirm all of this on the podcast "Happy Sad Confused" (via ComicBook.com).
The Hollywood Reporter later published a scoop that confirms the film's plot, while not a direct adaptation, flirted with a similar structure to "Civil War." Fox's version began with Johnny Storm going AWOL to take down Molecule Man, resulting in city-wide destruction and a call for a superhero registration act. This leads to heroes taking sides, notably Mr. Fantastic and Wolverine on opposing ends. Supposedly there was going to be a fight scene between them that had Reed Richards' arms cutting Wolverine's arms off at a molecular level. Weird! This would ultimately lead to reconciliation and the reveal of the real evil at play: the Skrulls, yet another way Fox could have beat Marvel Studios to the punch.
An X-Force movie began development in 2013, but Disney's merger killed it
Many assume that the success of "Deadpool 2" was what inspired Fox to get on top of an X-Force spinoff. However, those in the know will remember that the first idea for "X-Force" all started with writer-director Jeff Wadlow back in 2013, before "Deadpool" had even come out. He was tapped to write and direct the film as a mainline "X-Men" spinoff and even conceived of an entire trilogy centered on the mutants who had to endure outcast life outside the X-Mansion. They would eventually form what Wadlow described as a "black ops team" under the leadership of Cable. At one point, series creator Rob Liefeld read a draft of Wadlow's initial script and posted to X, formerly Twitter, that it was "beyond impressive."
However, this ultimately went against the vision for "Deadpool 2," and for reasons that likely remain behind closed doors, Wadlow disappeared from the project. Ryan Reynolds took over and planned to keep it in line, both stylistically and canonically, with the "Deadpool" films, bringing on Drew Goddard as director and Joe Carnahan as a co-writer. And then... that pesky Fox-Disney merger reared its ugly head. The "X-Men" film rights reverted to Disney, who put the kibosh on all of Fox's loosely-developing projects, including "X-Force." That said, Wadlow is still down (read: practically begging) to work with Kevin Feige on an adaptation of the series, so perhaps the two can combine forces and meet in the middle to get this made.
Bryan Singer ditched his version of X-Men: The Last Stand to direct Superman Returns
Ideally, we wouldn't waste a minute talking out Bryan Singer, the frequent "X-Men" director who has since been accused by multiple people of sexual assault. However, his egregious past does not change the fact that he has directed four of these films, and he was very close to directing five. After the successful release of "X2: X-Men United" Singer signed an overall deal with Fox that took him into negotiations to return for "X-Men 3." However, after being offered the chance to direct "Superman Returns," Singer backed out of directing the next X-Fest and took several of his collaborators with him, including writers Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty.
Brett Ratner was left to take on "The Last Stand," and we all know how that turned out (poorly), but would anything have been different were Singer to take on the mantle like intended? Well, yes and no. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2006 (via Ain't It Cool News), Singer revealed he hadn't even written a full treatment by the time he left, but he planned on exploring the Dark Phoenix storyline. Dougherty corroborated this in the book "Mutant Cinema: The X-Men Trilogy," but noted that Jean Grey's spirit would have lived on in their version. The juiciest change, however, comes courtesy of Harris, who had planned to introduce Emma Frost, as played by Sigourney Weaver, an empath who would manipulate Jean Grey's emotions to take advantage of the Phoenix's abilities. Talk about dream casting!
X-Men 4 and 5 gave way for Days of Future Past
Regardless of your thoughts on "The Last Stand," it's undeniable that the movie continued the X-Men's financial winning streak, so why stop there? That was executive producer Lauren Shuler Donner's mindset as she began negotiations with the cast to return for a fourth film. However, production on the next X-Men films — what became "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and the later-scrapped Magneto prequel (we'll get to that) — was bound to delay things. It was difficult to foresee if Donner would be able to rope her star-studded cast together for another installment, let alone pay for them.
It took her a few years but, in 2011, Donner confirmed with Empire (via WhatCulture!) that she had submitted a treatment for "X-Men 4," which directly tied into "X-Men 5," and Fox was very receptive. So what happened? No exact reason has ever been said by anyone involved, however, history speaks for itself. Bryan Singer was tapped to produce "X-Men: The Last Stand," directed by Matthew Vaughn, who was pitched to direct "X-Men 4" after that.
"X-Men 4" would have used the "Days of Future Past" comic arc as a jumping off point to incorporate both the old and new casts, sparking a new trilogy of movies. When creative differences involving a plan to deceive franchise star Halle Berry led to Vaughn's departure on "The Last Stand," ol' reliable Singer was the obvious replacement, even though he also left "The Last Stand." Of course, Vaughn ended up directing "X-Men: First Class" anyway, and whatever Fox wanted out of a potential fourth and fifth movies in the "X-Men" franchise, they got it out of the eventual "Days of Future Past" adaptation directed by Singer.
Magneto's origin film was canceled after X-Men Origins: Wolverine tanked
The opening moments of "X-Men: First Class" gave fans the Magneto origin story they never knew they wanted. Well, a lawsuit arbitrated shortly before the film's release revealed that the film may have stolen this scene from what originally was going to be a full-length Magneto origin film.
After the success of "X2," Fox sought to cash in on the franchise's success with not just a third mainline installment but individual origin stories for its most popular members. One of those films became "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," which was its own slice of chaos. The other was "X-Men Origins: Magneto," set to be penned by Sheldon Turner. Pitched as "'The Pianist' meets 'X-Men,'" the film would focus on Erik Lehnsherr's survival after the Holocaust and the beginnings of his friendship with Charles Xavier. However, after "Origins" was a box office disappointment, Turner's film was stopped mid-way through pre-production.
Somewhere along the way, Josh Schwartz was brought on to write "First Class." His version of the story focuses on many of the characters featured in the previous "X-Men" films, including Jean Grey and Cyclops. However, when Bryan Singer was tapped to direct, he replaced Schwartz's script with a new script based on his own treatment, one that focused primarily on Lehnsherr and Xavier. Singer himself admitted that his script "subsumed" Turner's work on "Magneto," which is a fancy way of saying they basically usurped his idea. But Singer ended up not directing "X-Men: First Class," and thankfully, Turner wound up with story credit on "First Class" in the end, so all's well that ends well.
Gambit suffered in development hell before getting axed
Poor Channing Tatum. All the man wanted was to play Gambit, and the world did everything in its power to stop him.
Out of every project killed by the Disney-Fox merger, the long-gestating "Gambit" film was the most tragic to see go. After rewrites kept him from portraying Remy LaBeau in "The Last Stand," and scheduling conflicts forced him to give up the part for "X-Men: Origins," Channing Tatum was determined to make a solo movie happen alongside producing partner and co-writer Reid Carolin. He had long been an admirer of the Ragin' Cajun, and with Carolin, he had conceived a low-level (a la "Deadpool") heist film set in New Orleans and inspired by "Goodfellas."
The film was initially pinned for a 2016 release date with Rupert Wyatt directing. Fox, ready to capitalize on the character's popularity, budgeted the film at over $150 million and set production on-location in NOLA. Then, "Fantastic Four" bombed, leading Fox to slash the film's budget without allowing time for rewrites, so Wyatt departed. Director Doug Liman replaced him but was never able to connect to the script, which saw further rewrites and a shift in tone. Gore Verbinski replaced him and production was ready to formally begin... until he also dropped out.
Despite Tatum and Carolin lobbying to direct it themselves, and Edgar Wright even being pursued at one point, the film never saw another director attached until it was officially axed. There's always a shot Gambit could fit into the MCU, but until then, Tatum's card trick training will have to be put on pause.
X-Men: Apocalypse kept X-Men: Dark Phoenix from being a two-parter
You know, not every "X-Men" movie needs to be made. Some should stay laid to rest, like the sequel to "X-Men: Dark Phoenix." It's hard to imagine but director Simon Kinberg, who had been the franchise's longtime contributing writer and producer, had originally conceived "Dark Phoenix" in two parts (via Deadline). When Bryan Singer proved to be an unreliable director during the production of "X-Men: Apocalypse," Kinberg was given the keys to the kingdom. However, "Apocalypse" was a critical and commercial failure, forcing Kinberg to condense his films into one.
If "Apocalypse" hadn't been enough to squander "Dark Phoenix Part 2," its troubled promotional campaign would have finished the job. Kinberg was forced to rewrite and reshoot his original ending due to poor test screenings, which pushed the film back by a few months. Then, Fox pushed the film's release date again to accommodate "Alita: Battle Angel," which put it in the immensely large shadow of "Avengers: Endgame." The PR surrounding these events was a nightmare at Fox, who had begun making preparations for the Disney merger and simply couldn't be bothered to do damage control on a film that they already viewed as a lost cause. By the time "Dark Phoenix" came out, it somehow sunk the franchise even lower than "Apocalypse" and effectively killed the franchise to the point that the merger was merely a cherry on top.
The New Mutants was going to be a trilogy until X-Men: Apocalypse bombed
Despite the misguided final product, "The New Mutants" had the potential to be a breath of fresh air for the X-Men franchise, a bonafide horror film that took these characters in a new stylistic direction. It makes sense that director and co-writer Josh Boone initially conceived of the film as a trilogy, with each entry tackling a different horror subgenre and further descending into hellish imagery. The series would even crossover with the mainline "X-Men" films in its final installment, which adapted the iconic "Inferno" comic arc.
To lay the foundation for this, Boone originally set "The New Mutants" within the same timeline as "X-Men Apocalypse" and incorporated Professor X and Storm into the plot. However, following the failure of "Apocalypse," Boone was instructed by Fox to nix any references to that era of the franchise. This put the film in an undisclosed time (which, in fairness, likely aided the atmosphere) and ultimately made the film more self-contained, which was Boone's intention from the start. The film was tracking well, however, all of Fox's resources wound up going to "Dark Phoenix," leaving "The New Mutants" stuck in a belabored production limbo further exacerbated by the Disney merger. Boone had a post-credits scene planned with Antonio Banderas as Emmanuel da Costa, but it was never shot.
When "The New Mutants" finally came out amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it became the last "X-Men" movie of the Fox era with no sequels in sight.
Beast could have had his own spinoff
Beast has never taken a leading role in any of the "X-Men" movies, but true fans know Hank McCoy is worthy of his own spinoff. One of those true fans, Byron Burton, happened to be an assistant editor on "X-Men: Apocalypse." He pitched his idea for a Beast spinoff to his boss, editor John Ottman, and told him he could crank out a script in two weeks. Ottman, who was close to the decision-makers at Fox, would pass it along if it was any good.
As it turns out, it was very good, so much so that Ottman came on board to help further develop the story. Titled "X-Men: Fear The Beast," the film centers on Hank and a fellow beastly mutant, Dr. Paul Cartier, who has been rampaging through a small, Inuit town as his alter ego: the white, monstrous Wendigo. With the help of Professor X and a pre-"X-Men" Wolverine, Beast must stop the Wendigo, all while learning how to control his own inner monster. The post-credits scene of "Fear The Beast" would tease the introduction of Mister Sinister, who Ottman and Burton further developed in an already-outlined sequel featuring the villain Omega Red.
Burton sent the script to Simon Kinberg, but he declined to read it out of concern that it would unconsciously influence his own writing on "Dark Phoenix." So, ultimately, the film never went anywhere. Thankfully, the script is available to read online for free so fans everywhere can bask in its unexpected but welcome glory.
They disney merger stopped James Mangold's X-23 spinoff
"Logan" may very well be the best "X-Men" movie of all-time, so it only makes sense that it almost got a spinoff. Thankfully, unlike the unwieldy team-up movies, there's only one realistic direction for the story to take: the future of Logan's surrogate child, Laura, codenamed X-23. Dafne Keen's performance was notably impressive for a child actress, which left plenty of room for the character to grow into her own. Director James Mangold felt the same and, spurred by the success of "Wonder Woman," and he began putting together an X-23 movie treatment with the help of the character's creator, Craig Kyle. It was unclear if the film would retain the same tone as "Logan," as producer Hutch Parker believed the character had more flexibility in terms of genre.
Sadly, Mangold was never able to actually finish a script before the Disney-Fox merger killed it. As of November 2019, Mangold has said that the movie is effectively dead (via Yahoo UK), citing that Marvel Studios had no interest in retaining any of Fox's vision for the "X-Men." However, with Wolverine returning for "Deadpool and Wolverine," the rumor mill is rapidly churning out reports that several Fox characters, like Jennifer Garner as Elektra, will be appearing in the film in various capacities, and that could include X-23. It's unclear whether it is going to be a cameo, a meatier supporting turn, or absolutely nothing at all. Whatever it is, she deserves to return to the character and soon.