The two big words hovering over the superhero genre at the moment are “Cinematic Universe,” as each studio is finding ways to make their comic book properties exist within the same continuity. Marvel Studios famously started the trend with Iron Man back in 2008, culminating in an expansive shared universe that just keeps getting bigger.
Due to Marvel’s success, the other big studios are scrambling to compete. Sony is hard at work on building a Spider-Man universe, with several already-announced sequels and villain spin-offs, Warner Bros. is currently starting production on Batman vs. Superman, and 20th Century Fox is gearing up to make a Fantastic Four reboot that exists within the same “universe” as the X-Men franchise.
Because Fox owns both properties, it was assumed that we would someday see a crossover or team-up film featuring the mutants and the famous super-family. Last month, the studio announced several release dates that included a third Wolverine film and a Fantastic Four sequel, as well as an “Untitled Fox/Marvel movie.” That mystery project only added to the speculation about a FF/X-Men crossover, but according to Schmoes Know, that’s not even being considered.
According to their “well placed source,” Fox has “NO PLANS to cross the universes together.” Additionally, they claim that Fox wants Fantastic Four to stand on their own without relying on the X-Men to help things along.
Apparently, the films will still exist within the same shared universe, but there’s “not even a whisper” of a crossover happening. Chances are this will someday come to pass, especially if FF doesn’t live up the studio’s expectations, but honestly, I’m kind of relieved by this news. I haven’t heard or seen of anyone who was excited about a FF/X-Men crossover movie, for a variety of reasons. Just because the two teams exist in the same continuity doesn’t mean they need to meet or unite, and it always felt more like a business decision than a creative one.
Hopefully this means that Fox is confident about the Fantastic Four reboot. Many will probably see this as bad business sense, especially if they wish to compete with Marvel, but even that cinematic universe has problems. It’s refreshing to see that Fox wants to lay the proper groundwork and establish these characters before planning any big crossover events down the line.
Tell us, what do you think of this news? Are you sad to hear that the Fantastic Four won’t be running into the X-Men any time soon? Sound off in the comments below!
