FOX has ordered a pilot for an X-Men series, and while they are no stranger to DC with the success of Gotham, this X-Men show will make them the latest network to join the Marvel universe. Though the series is untitled for now and there were no X-Men characters specified in the pilot announcement, the series has been labeled as “action-adventure”. The story begins with normal, human parents raising a child who develops mutant powers. The press release states, “Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive.”
Marvel Television and 20th Century Fox Television will co-produce the series, with 20th Century primarily taking care of the physical production. Burn Notice creator Matt Nix will be the executive producer of the X-Men series, along with X-Men’s cinematic producers, Bryan Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, plus Marvel’s Jim Chory and Jeph Loeb.
Loeb who is also Marvel’s head of television stated, “Marvel Television is thrilled to be co-producing with 20th Century Fox Television on our first project. Matt’s a huge fan of ‘X-Men’ and his take on ‘X-Men,’ with its rich characters and high-stakes adventure, is exactly the show we want on Fox. It’s a great team of creative producers who will be making something entirely unique.”
It is no secret that the Marvel universe is expansive, with the studio’s large presence across television, cinema, and even streaming services like Netflix. With ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, Netflix’s Daredevil and Jessica Jones, not to mention all of the blockbuster cinematic movies, Marvel’s presence (and undeniable popularity) seems impossible to ignore. There are also new upcoming Marvel shows such as Legion on FX, Cloak and Dagger on Freeform, and Luke Cage coming exclusively to Netflix. Although ABC cancelled Agent Carter after just two seasons, the network is said to be developing a secret project with award-winning writer, John Ridley.