Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige has poured a bucket of ice cold water over fans who were predicting the imminent arrival of the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Feige has said it could be a “very long time” until the X-Men appear, hinting that the characters do not figure in the five-year plan for Phase 4 of the franchise, which is set to run until around 2025.
With the release of Avengers: Endgame later this month, the MCU is set to undergo a major sea change after 11 years and 22 movies.
Given the recent closure of the merger between Disney, which owns Marvel Studios, and 21st Century Fox, which owns the X-Men, speculation has been rife that mutants may soon be making their presence felt alongside the Avengers.
Feige, however, told io9 that “it’ll be a while” before the likes of Wolverine and Professor X arrive in the MCU.
He added: “It’s all just beginning and the five-year plan that we’ve been working on, we were working on before any of that was set.
“So really it’s much more, for us, less about specifics of when and where [the X-Men will appear] right now and more just the comfort factor and how nice it is that they’re home.”
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The fourth phase of MCU movies is light on detail for now, with the studio holding its cards close to its chest in advance of Endgame.
It seems likely, however, that The Eternals and the Black Widow solo film will play a part in the schedule, as well as sequels to Black Panther, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Avengers: Endgame will be released into UK cinemas on 25 April, with the American release set for 26 April.