After “Logan” This is what Fox Plans to do with the X-Men franchise!

With Logan being the latest installment in Fox’s X-Men franchise a lot of fans are left wondering where the studio should take the characters next. Let’s go over some new information!

Logan has been greeted with an impressive box office opening for an R-rated film as well as received great reviews from critics. The latest film served as a swansong for the six-clawed mutant played by Hugh Jackman. While the overall story was dark it served its purpose, ending with a note of hope, a future for mutant kind.

A lot of fans feel that Fox shouldn’t do anymore X-Men movies. It’s better to just end the franchise with Logan, and focus on Deadpool if they need do. Some even feel that Fox should give the X-Men back to Marvel already. Even Chris Evans wants it to happen.

However, we all know that Fox isn’t going to let go of the billion dollar mutant cash cow no matter how many times the studio messes up with the timeline. This is also my grip with the franchise. Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe where the films connect with each other, the X-Men film franchise is all over the place. You can easily skip watching a couple of movies in-between and you won’t feel lost when watching the upcoming installments.

So, where is Fox taking the mutants after Logan?

The New Mutants

Lots of information has been shared about The New Mutants. But there’s no confirmation whether the film will be set in the past or the present timeline. It’ll focus on a new group of young mutants and will feature Demon Bear as the antagonist. It’s planned for a 2018 release.

X-Men: Supernova

Fox is determined to make the 90’s young X-Men team a thing. Currently titled X-Men: Supernova, the film will focus on the new mutant team featured in the disappointing X-Men: Apocalypse. Apparently, it’ll showcase the Dark Phoenix Saga and will also take the mutants to space, Fox’s answer to Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s also planned for a 2018 release.

Deadpool 2

Deadpool 2 is also looking at a 2018 (or possibly a 2019) release date. If all the in-development films are released on their planned year, 2018 is going to huge for mutant fans. Cable is set to appear in the sequel while Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić and Karan Soni are said to return as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Piotr Rasputin/Colossus and Dopinder respectively. No details have been released about the plot or if Wade Wilson will be jumping through timelines (and hopefully setting things right) with Cable. Deadpool 3 is in the planning stage and is said to introduce X-Force.

Notice Cable’s real name, Nathan Summers, written on the phone booth seen in the Deadpool 2 teaser attached to Logan.

Gambit

Channing Tatum’s Gambit is still alive at Fox. I have no idea why. The film was supposed to go into production last year. So, let’s see if it’ll do so this year and if the studio has enough faith in Channing Tatum’s Gambit to warrant a solo-series.

With three films ready to begin production this year, and a couple of films in the planning phase, Fox clearly isn’t ready to let go of the X-Men anytime soon.

According to Lauren Shuler Donner, longtime X-Men film franchise producer, “We cannot, once again, explore the Erik/Charles dynamic.” However, while the two iconic characters are still “essential” to the world (world’s?) the X-Men live in “there are other stories to tell,” she told Vanity Fair.

Took her long enough to realize that. While the dynamic between Charles and Erik was interesting, it became a bore after the first few films. The X-Men comics are full of characters, and Fox only focusing on Wolverine, Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique (because of Jennifer Lawrence’s star power) by pushing well-loved characters to the sidelines didn’t help matters in my opinion.

Talking about the small screen, FX already has Legion, a show focusing on Charles’ son. While the series has been met with critical acclaim, it’s encountering difficulty finding an audience. Episode 4 was able to attract only 0.75 million views. Even MTV’s Teen Wolf was able to go over a million each episode during its first season. It’s unlikely that Legion will be renewed for a second season.

Fox also has a new X-Men pilot in development. The show will focus on parents running from the government when their kids start to exhibit superpowers. Let’s see if the upcoming series is able to garner an audience to help it survive.

What’s your opinion regarding Fox’s X-Men franchise? Where do you think the X-Men should go after Logan? Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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