Will Jake Schreier direct X-Men? Here's what we know

After giving us a bunch of heroes in The New Avengers (formerly Thunderbolts), it seems like Jake Schreier is looking to gather up a bunch of mutants for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some sources tell Deadline that he might be directing a new X-Men film for the franchise.

Disney, which has been delivering big-budget Marvel hits since 2009 after that major acquisition deal, acquired 21st Century Fox in an even bigger deal—securing the rights to comic book teams like the Fantastic Four and X-Men. They even showed the world they were serious about integrating them in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), where Wanda killed them all in a merciless fashion.

Characters from both teams are already confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, and hopefully in Avengers: Secret Wars after that. Following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, the MCU has plans for, as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige puts it, a “new age of mutants and of the X-Men.” And this is where Jake Schreier is likely to step in, according to this update.

With Jake Schreier, Marvel appears to be back on the quality-over-quantity track

Thunderbolts* currently holds 88% critics' approval on Rotten Tomatoes. (Image via Marvel Entertainment)

The recent success of Jake Schreier's The New Avengers was something Marvel fans had praised in a long time. Though we’re not saying recent films didn’t resonate with audiences, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) were certainly joyous to watch—especially with the return of beloved actors like Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman.

But if you look at films like Eternals (2021), The Marvels (2023), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Captain America: Brave New World (2025), and others—they didn’t hit fans the way earlier MCU films once did. That contrast becomes very clear when you compare them with the first three phases.

And it’s not just us—Disney boss Bob Iger feels the same way. During a recent earnings call, he said:

"We’ve also learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality. And frankly, we’ve all admitted to ourselves that we lost a little focus by making too much. By consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, we believe that will result in better quality. I think the first and best example is Thunderbolts*. I feel very good about that."

That said, if Jake Schreier is going down the X-Men route, we can hope to see another MCU film that truly reflects the idea of “quality over quantity.”

Which of the X-Men has debuted in the MCU to date

Professor X appeared as a member of the Illuminati in the Doctor Strange sequel. (Image via 20th Century Studios)

Most recently, we saw Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine, though he was missing that hard-boiled vibe we’re used to seeing in the character. Before that, Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, was brutally murdered (again) by Wanda in the Doctor Strange sequel.

Other than them, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast appeared in The Marvels, and he’s also confirmed to reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday. Evan Peters’ Quicksilver also appeared in the MCU TV series WandaVision, though his name wasn’t included on the Doomsday list.