Executive producers of "X-Men '97" Eric and Julia Lewald gave advice to the creators of the upcoming live-action franchise reboot within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In their opinion, spectacular abilities can attract an audience's attention, but it is primarily the personal stories of the mutants that hold it:
"Superpowers are impressive. Supermutations... Oh, it's so cool: she can fly or throw a building. But it's the inner world that matters. The humanity within. Each of them has real reasons to be unhappy about what happened in their lives, and yet they choose each other, become a family, and stick together."
Separately, Eric Lewald warned the authors against the desire to reinterpret familiar characters too much:
"It all comes down to loyalty to the characters. Sometimes, when you're in a creative role, you want to leave your own mark and declare: 'Now Sherlock Holmes is no longer smart,' — or change the characters in some other way. But you have to remember: people have lived with them for years. They watched them with their parents, and now they watch them with their children."
At the same time, loyalty to the source material does not prevent subjecting the heroes to new challenges. Lewald explained this principle using examples from the animated series:
"It matters to these people if you stray too far. Heroes need challenges, but they cannot be changed. You have to remain true to their essence. This is the basis of any story. Our best stories were focused on the characters. The plot? Well, something explodes there. But if what's happening means something to Rogue or Wolverine — that's when the story worked."
The live-action "X-Men" reboot will be directed by Jake Schreier, director of "Thunderbolts*". The script is being written by "Beef" creator Lee Sung Jin and "The Bear" co-creator Joanna Calo. Marvel Studios has not yet announced a premiere date.
Read more on the topic:
- "Even a year is too long": Marvel reveals release dates for third and fourth seasons of "X-Men '97"
- Sadie Sink Confirms Return as Jean Grey in New "X-Men" Film
- New Mutant Leader: Kit Connor to Play Cyclops in "X-Men" Reboot - Media
- White Queen Found: Samara Weaving to Play Emma Frost in "X-Men" Reboot