A Movie Or A Disney+ Series: Which Do You Want More For The X-Men?

[MarvelMaster616]

After reading so many comments about the future of the X-Men in the MCU, which I imagine will continue for the next several years, something came to me. Since Marvel Studios has gone on record as saying it'll be a good long while before the X-Men show up, it got me wondering if it made more sense to develop the world of X-Men in a Disney+ series. I know it's hard to imagine anything other than a full-on rebooted movie at this point, but a lot can change in 5 years. Fewer people are going to the movies and Marvel Studios is already investing big into Disney+ with a couple of shows. Within 5 years, that might end up being more lucrative than movies, if only because it hold a subscriber base. And for X-Men, it might even be necessary.

Unlike the Fantastic Four, the X-Men universe is pretty big. The fact Fox made nearly a dozen movies over the past 19 years is proof enough of that and they didn't even tap half of the content. Given the size and scope of X-Men, a TV series might be a better medium for developing the franchise. There could still be movies, but I honestly think that'll be riskier in 5 years. By then, the state of movie theaters could be even more dire. And by then, who knows if Marvel Studios is still pitching perfect games. It only takes one bomb to disrupt the momentum they're currently enjoying. Whether it's the Eternals, the rebooted Fantastic Four, or some other movie, they could be in a tricky spot.

Personally, I still want to see a rebooted movie. But the more I think about it, the more I believe that a TV series might end up being the preferred path. It worked wonders for Daredevil. I think it could work even better for X-Men.

[Beetle]

I want a new cartoon show

You won't have to worry about the budget for costumes, practical or special effects as much so you can go really crazy with designs, powers, and settings

That means you can adapt more characters and more storylines

[Snoop Dogg]

Disney+ Nextwave cartoon.

[Purplevit]

I want a new quality cartoon. Kids need to love X-Men.

Main movies with solo movies and Disney+ for X-Factor and other spin-offs.

[KangMiRae]

A Disney+ series, please! The X-Men are so big, bigger than the rest of the Marvel Universe, and, quite frankly, bigger than the MCU. You can't do them properly without seasons to take time and build them.

Not to mention, television series are what's hot right now, along with streaming services. HBO had Game of Thrones, Disney+ is testing the waters with the Mandalorian which is reported to have a budget as big as Game of Thrones, and then there's AMC's Walking Dead. Also Breaking Bad was a part of this 'renaissance'.

I also think the smartest thing Fox ever did was keep the mutants in a world where it was just the X-Men and humans, no mixing. It gets too muddy.

[OblivionX33]

A new Cartoon with a budget. On Disney+ OR Hulu.

[Silver Fang]

I'd rather a new cartoon. Again it's less taxing regarding budget than all the effects live-action requires. And episodes can give chance to focus on different teams, adventures, and characters where a film would be limited.

For example, I'd love to see GenX on tv, but in a great cartoon where the characters look more like their best versions. (like non-whitewashed Monet) lol

And of all the cartoons, no version of Creed was any good -least not in America. The anime with him kicking Iron Man's ass is the only good version. So it'd be nice to get a good Creed in American animation. And where he doesn't look ridiculous.

Featuring Deadpool form time to time would be good. But the Duggan, Kelly, or Bunn version. NOT Way, Bendis, or Reynolds.

All in all, I say start with a animated feature film to introduce the series, and let it roll.

[Snoop Dogg]

wait why are we suddenly confident in marvel animation

[uebersoldat]

wait why are we suddenly confident in marvel animation

Thank you, I'm also worried about some janky weird adaptation to cartoon. TAS was perfect in every way except the actual animation itself, which was choppy and suffered from major proportion and perspective issues which I presume to be budget-related more than anything. I loved the way the X-Men were actually drawn in TAS.

What has Disney+ done lately that is good and would give hope for a *good* X-Men cartoon?

[Beetle]

wait why are we suddenly confident in marvel animation

Well ideally they'd bring back the same quality they had back during Wolverine and the X-Men, Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes, or Spectacular Spider-Man

[Graphicisnovel]

Non hesitational yes to a movie.

[phoenixzero23]

I don't trust Disney with cartoons but at the same time i want a cartoon/series so badly. It leaves more time to develop characters and stories.

[yogaflame]

I agree, the recent Marvel animation projects have been abysmal, especially if you compare to what WB does with DC stuff. It feels like they just are on cruise control and putting in the minimal effort necessary because they know the audience is already hooked on the film versions. That said, something like Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which was created just as the MCU was becoming a super big deal, was an excellent cartoon.

I think Disney/Marvel knows the potential of the X-Men IP, and now that they absorbed Fox and have full control again, will want to capitalize on this underutilized IP. And after two decades of Fox-Men, what they really need to do is redefine the franchise for a new generation, and that is most powerfully possible with a cartoon with four quarter penetration. Something that everyone can really sink into.

This supposed 5 year wait period before the MCU X-Men begin to form would be the ideal time to launch a new X-Men cartoon to excite a whole new generation of children, making them lifelong consumers of X-Men products and films to come, so it would be in their best interests to do such a thing, even before the movies are ready.

With that all in mind, though, it will be fascinating to see how modern Disney-Marvel will reestablish the X-Men in this day and age of identity politics, globalism, environmental degradation, and constant feedback through the internet. Claremont didn't have to contend with all of that in the 70-90's(at most, barely). Also, as a mega-corporation with very centralized 'values', how will Disney represent the X-Men, who are oftentimes counter-cultural and revolutionary, defiant of governmental and corporate interests within their own stories. How will the X-Men evolve in this particular landscape?

[MarvelMaster616]

wait why are we suddenly confident in marvel animation

That's exactly why I didn't bring it up. I honestly don't think Disney and Marvel have prioritized animation since 2009. They see it primarily as something to attract kids and they won't be the ones paying for Disney+ subscriptions for years to come.

I think the general trend in recent years has been to pursue TV shows that can be binged. Shows like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones have proven that there is money, prestige, and brand value to be gained and Disney loves all three. Plus, a TV series is a lot more flexible. There's more time to set things up, develop characters, and build a world. There's only so much you can do in a two to three hour movie. Avengers Endgame was long and even it struggled to balance so many characters. With X-Men, they'll have to balance even more.

That said, it still depends on whether or not shows like The Mandalorian and Winter Soldier/Falcon prove successful. If these shows are beloved by fans and draw a significant audience on the streaming service, then that'll be all the incentive Disney and Marvel need to do more. They have a plan with the movies and now they have a wealth of other characters with X-Men at their disposal. They're in a perfect position to have their cake and eat it too.

[Wiccan]

A Disney+ show is better for character development, but there's just no way Disney won't want to make hundreds of millions(maybe even a billion?) with a movie. And then the sequels. X-Men is just too profitable of a franchise to not make it a huge blockbuster thing. And honestly? I think the franchise deserves the hype. All the promotion, merchandise and etc that comes with a movie.

Now, when it comes to Disney shows, they could just do the same thing they're doing with the current ones for Avengers characters, which is to flesh out characters that don't have their own solo movies(which is likely everyone besides Wolverine but anyway lol).