According to MCU mastermind Kevin Feige, talks of how to integrate the X-Men into the MCU are ongoing. The X-Men film series’ original home was 20th Century Fox. At that studio, the franchise produced 13 films and brought in over $6 billion in box office receipts. Credited as the advent of superhero films as we know them today, the original X-Men film featured Ian McKellen as Magneto, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Those three became mainstays in the franchise that eventually saw several spinoffs and sequels that brought onboard new characters.

Disney famously acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019 in a landmark merger. The move saw Disney swallow up all of 20th Century Fox’s IP, including their rights to the X-Men and other characters that had been outside of their reach. Questions lingered after the massive deal as to when characters like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four would make their debuts in the MCU. While Disney announced their first Fantastic Four film at their 2020 Investor’s Day, they remain tight-lipped on the status of the X-Men.

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Now, Feige has told Screen Rant the status of Marvel’s work on bringing the X-Men into the fold. Feige professed his love for the X-Men, saying that was his starting point for introducing them to the MCU. He goes on to say that, while he can’t say anything before any official announcements, he says that discussions have been long and are currently ongoing at the studio.

Screen Rant: At Disney Investor Day, you announced that Fantastic Four is happening. When will we see the X-Men?

Kevin Feige: You know how much I love the X-Men. I already said that's where I started. I can't tell you anything before we actually announced it, but rest assured, the discussions have been long and ongoing internally.

The introduction of the X-Men into the MCU is highly anticipated, not only because of their iconic comics run, but because of their landmark films, as well. The original X-Men films introduced comic book movies to the general public alongside Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy. It’s safe to say that, because of them, we have the MCU and DCEU as we know them today. While not all of the films were successful, they’ve had some massive hits.

They also had a distinctive tone that set them apart from the MCU in important ways, dealing with themes and stories that the MCU just couldn’t dive into. Now that the MCU can take on the X-Men, it will be interesting to see how they can bring famous characters like Wolverine, Rogue, Mystique, and Professor X into the fold. As of now, it seems like Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is the only character who will not be recast, but it’s safe to say that the probably of the rest of them being recast is rather high. Jackman reportedly ended his tenure as Wolverine with the critically acclaimed Logan and the rest have appeared in the franchise on and off over the years. The X-Men will bring a slew of fresh faces to the MCU, and probably some big stars along with it, and while their debut is a few years off, the wait will likely be worth it.

More: Why Marvel Is Making A Fantastic 4 Movie Before X-Men