The X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR Shared Film Universe May Be Dead

Cinematic universes are all the rage these days. Marvel Studios was so successful with their characters living in the same world that the other studios wanted in on the action. Warner Bros is establishing the DC Cinematic Universe, Sony is building a world with Spider-Man and…his villains (that still doesn’t make much sense) and Fox has expressed interest in a shared universe with the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Well, at least they used to.

It was recently reported that Fox has no plans to release an X-Men/Fantastic Four team-up movie, but now, according to The Fantastic Four producer Simon Kimberg, the two franchises may not even exist in the same universe. In an interview with Screen Crush, Kinberg expressed the dilemma of adapting Marvel’s First Family in a world full of mutants.

Well, it’s complicated. Because none of the X-Men movies have acknowledged the notion of a sort of superhero team — the Fantastic Four. And the Fantastic Four acquire powers, so for them to live in a world where mutants are prevalent is kind of complicated, because you’re like, “Oh, you’re just a mutant.” Like, “What’s so fantastic about you?”

“We have powers … just like that team down the street.”

Right, right. Exactly, “So, I guess we’ll go to school now. We’ll go to Xavier’s school.” No, it is, they live in discrete universes.

As much as it pains me to admit it, Kinberg does bring up a good point. In the X-Men universe, the only people with powers are mutants. While the Fantastic Four aren’t the social outcasts that the mutants are, there’s still not much to distinguish them from the mutants. More than likely, they’d get the same treatment from the general public that the X-Men do.

It’s probably for the best. As popular as cinematic universes are, that doesn’t mean they’ll work for every character or franchise. While it would have been cool to see the X-Men and Fantastic Four team up, Fox has made it clear that it’s not a priority for them. The writers could come up with a story if they put their minds to it, but it looks like reestablishing the Fantastic Four is their main goal, and having them live in the same world as the X-Men isn’t important. Which is good; meaningful stories should be emphasized over everything else in superhero movies. ALWAYS.

Plus, considering the Fantastic Four film track record, as well as the…unusual casting and tone choices for the reboot, maybe it’s good that they are separate entities. Fox needs to focus on making a good Fantastic Four film, and right now, the information we have so far isn’t easing the concerns of fans. And, if the reboot crashes and burns, at least the X-Men movies won’t suffer as a result.

Although, let’s be honest, what most of us really want is to see everything back at Marvel Studios. But hey, you work with what you’ve got.

SOURCE: Screen Crush