X-Men director Jake Schreier has teased some of the comic book inspirations for his new MCU reboot, saying that he’s already talked to Marvel Studios about finding the “things that haven’t recently been done well” in the movies.
The filmmaker leading the charge on what seems to be the first post-Avengers: Secret Wars movie spoke about some of the corners of the mutant universe he and MCU boss Kevin Feige have already started digging through during an interview with Good Morning America. The conversation followed the film’s explosive D23 2026 X-Men cast reveal, which included announcements for characters like Rogue, Storm, Professor X, and Mister Sinister.
With its May 2028 release still almost two years away, Schreier, who previously helmed Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, stopped short of revealing too much about the movie’s plot. Instead, his comments suggested fans may want to brush up on the work of comic book authors Chris Claremont and Jonathan Hickman.
“One of the great things about the comics is there is such a rich and broad history,” he said. “That was one of the first things that Kevin and I talked about when I came in; they made many great movies in this world, and they’ve made so many great things. Let’s find the things that haven’t recently been done well. All these other corners of the universe…”
“Digging back into those comics like 20 years, the whole Chris Claremont run, the newer Jonathan Hickman stuff. There are so many stories that are still untold, to honor and to reach into, and then to meet this cast and try to do something new, I think you always want to see something that reveres where it came from and then is still taking a new spin on where we want to go.”
As teased by Feige, Schreier’s MCU X-Men team is still coming together, but they’ve got after last night, it’s clear there’s already a pretty solid foundation in place. The D23 reveal saw Inde Navarrette confirmed as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Joining them on stage were a few previously announced parts, including Kit Connor as Cyclops, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, and Sadie Sink as Jean Grey.
Earlier in the same interview, Connor teased his connection to the X-Men. He also teased a new direction for the mutant superhero group for the 2028 film.
“I grew up with the original movies in a lot of ways, and it’s really cool because it also feels like we are doing a really different version, a different take, which is really exciting.”
As of last night, X-Men is confirmed to premiere May 5, 2028. Ghost Rider is also due out that year but does not have a date, with Black Panther 3 locked in to arrive December 15, 2028.
Up next on the MCU calendar is VisionQuest in October and Avengers: Doomsday in December, with both receiving new trailers at D23, too. For more, you can read all about the biggest reveals from the show.
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Disney.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
