As things progress on Marvel Studios' X-Men film, one thing that remains unclear is what the reboot will be titled. Following Disney's acquisition of Fox, the X-Men team is one of the top things fans want to see in the MCU. With the release of Deadpool & Wolverine and the return of several legacy X-Men actors in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios is making good on its promise to bring mutants into the MCU, and headway is also being made on the studio's own X-Men reboot film.
The X-Men's arrival into the MCU was announced back at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. In the time since, there has been forward progress on Marvel Studios' X-Men film, with a director attached and casting rumors abundant, but an official title for the movie hasn't been confirmed. Marvel Studios typically names its films after the titular lead superheroes (e.g., Iron Man, Captain America, Eternals). However, in the case of X-Men, one Marvel producer thinks this title may be altered.
In 2019, in an interview with Nuke the Fridge during promotion for Captain Marvel (and shortly after Disney had acquired Fox Studios), Marvel producer Victoria Alonso suggested the X-Men team name was "outdated." The producer explained that she felt the X-Men team name was very gendered, as the team is comprised of both men and women:
Victoria Alonso: "It’s funny that people call it the X-Men. There’s a lot of female superheroes in that X-Men group, so I think it’s outdated."
Alonso is no longer at Marvel Studios as of 2023, but some of Marvel's executives may still hold her sentiment toward the X-Men title. Reports from 2021 indicated that the X-Men film was moving ahead under the working title "The Mutants," but it's unclear whether this name has remained the film's title or was used solely for production purposes.
Interestingly, when Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige first hinted at the X-Men's arrival at SDCC in 2019, he referred to them simply as "mutants" rather than using their notable team name:
Kevin Feige: "There's no time left to talk about mutants, and how mutants come into the MCU."
When asked why he used the term mutants rather than the team name by IGN, Feige said the two titles were "interchangeable:"
Kevin Feige: "'Mutants’ and 'X-Men’ are interchangeable. I just said 'mutants,' but yes, whatever we do will be quite different."
In more recent updates (reported by Deadline), Feige has used the term "X-Men" to describe the mutant superhero team's arrival in the MCU, suggesting that this name may still be the film's chosen title:
Kevin Feige: "I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize. Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, [it’s] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back."
The X-Men reboot is currently in development with Jake Schreier attached as director. The movie will be part of the third saga of the MCU, following the Multiverse Saga, which is currently unnamed and undated.
What Title Will the MCU's X-Men Film Use?
While Marvel Studios' X-Men film is commonly referred to by the superhero team's name, there's still no official confirmation from the studio on the film's title. It seems likely that the project will take one of two paths, with the title either sticking to the classic X-Men name and branding or opting for a broader title like "Mutants".
Marvel's films have been known to undergo name changes throughout production, or even as part of their marketing. Schreier's previous MCU film, Thunderbolts*, notably held a mystery in its name, with the asterisk eventually resulting in a new title for the movie: The New Avengers. Could it be possible that his X-Men film will follow a similar route?
The MCU's first foray into the world of mutants may opt for a more general title, such as "Mutants," as it sets up its various mutant comics characters. Then, once the group has been established as the superhero team fans know and love, the "X-Men" might be used as the title for sequels moving forward. Of course, that all depends on where Marvel chooses to start its X-Men reboot, and whether the team will already be well-established or if it will be an origin story, similar to Fox's X-Men: First Class.
