Jake Schreier Says His ‘X-Men’ Movie Will Break New Ground – Here’s What He Plans to Include
Marvel’s mutant reboot has finally transitioned from casting rumors to providing fans with the creative insights they’ve been eagerly awaiting. Following a summer filled with speculation about potential cast members, D23 offered the first real look into the vision that director Jake Schreier has for bringing the X-Men to life.
This shift is significant, especially considering the rich comic book history associated with the X-Men. Few Marvel properties have undergone such dramatic changes across different publication eras, meaning the source material a filmmaker chooses can greatly influence the cinematic interpretation of the team.
In an interview with GMA after the D23 reveal, Schreier confirmed that his ‘X-Men’ film will explore many elements that have never been seen on screen before. “Digging into those comics like the Chris Claremont run and the newer Jonathan Hickman stuff,” Schreier stated, “there are so many stories that are still untold.”
This statement builds on earlier comments Schreier made to Collider, where he first mentioned immersing himself in Chris Claremont’s iconic ‘Uncanny X-Men’ run while developing the project. Claremont wrote the characters for sixteen years, from 1975 to 1991, during what is widely regarded as the most influential era for the team.
The reference to Jonathan Hickman’s work adds an exciting new dimension to this inspiration. Hickman led the ‘Dawn of X’ relaunch from 2019 to 2021, a bold reimagining that introduced the Krakoan Age and fundamentally changed how mutants govern themselves and interact with the broader world in the comics.
By drawing from both eras, Schreier signals that he is not interested in merely retelling any single X-Men storyline that audiences have seen before. Instead, the combination of Claremont’s foundational character work with Hickman’s innovative, world-building approach suggests a film that aims to feel genuinely fresh rather than simply rehashing Fox’s previous cinematic interpretations of the team.
Schreier has consistently emphasized this theme throughout the film’s development. In previous discussions with MovieWeb, he described the project as aiming for “a fresh start” for the franchise, highlighting that Kevin Feige specifically encouraged the creative team to explore the vast possibilities within the X-Men’s extensive comic book history instead of reverting to familiar ground.
The director has also enlisted ‘Beef’ creator Lee Sung Jin and ‘The Bear’ co-showrunner Joanna Calo to collaborate on the screenplay, a writing team he has expressed genuine enthusiasm about reassembling. Their involvement adds another layer of creative talent to a project that already carries high expectations following Schreier’s success with ‘Thunderbolts’.
These comments come on the heels of Marvel’s significant D23 cast reveal, which confirmed Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm, and Adam Driver as the villainous Nathaniel Milbury. This announcement also included the film’s first official logo and a confirmed release date of May 5, 2028.
With two such distinct and influential eras of X-Men comics now established as creative inspirations, fans have plenty to speculate about as they await the film’s full plot reveal. Whether Schreier leans more towards Claremont’s character-driven storytelling or Hickman’s ambitious mutant nation-building remains one of the most intriguing questions surrounding the project.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!