Superhero franchises are a dime a dozen these days. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the DCEU, it seems that every major studio wants to get in on the comic book action. However, as good as those two superhero universes are, we cannot deny that the mutant universe truly started the modern era of comic book movies with Bryan Singer's original X-Men in 2000. It brought comic book heroes into the mainstream, and we haven't looked back since.
The X-Men franchise has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the course of the last 17 years, and new rumors have started to surface that 20th Century Fox may in fact be considering a reboot for the entire series. Honestly, we think that would be a great idea. We've compiled a list of reasons why we support a total X-Men reset; check out our arguments and give us your opinion in the comments below! There exist plenty of reasons to overhaul the X-Men franchise, so let's get started with one of the series' biggest logistical nightmares.
The Timeline Is All Over The Place
Wade Wilson said it best during the events of Deadpool, these timelines are so confusing. The X-Men franchise has used the concept of time to its advantage over the course of the last few years, but now the timeline has become nearly untenable. The problem is that so many vital characters have become scattered across several different time periods. The primary X-Men team is currently stuck in the 1980s (soon to be 1990s), Deadpool is currently enjoying himself in the present day, and Logan, X-23, and Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier are stuck in the future. A reboot would allow the X-Men franchise to consolidate its characters into a more cohesive and coherent timeline, which in turn would allow for easier crossovers. The series can still mess with time and time travel, but there needs to be a definitive time period that ties all of these characters together.
It Would Allow Them To Refocus On Other Characters
Consolidating the X-Men timeline is a major step towards fixing another vital problem associated with the franchise: it needs to find a new focal point. Rumors associated with the potential reboot seem to revolve around the idea that 20th Century Fox currently wants to spend far more time focusing on Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool. Rebooting the X-Men team in modern day could easily allow the studio to keep his R-rated franchise as the "main attraction" of the X-Men universe, while also dipping into some PG-13 X-Men adventures, as well. With Hugh Jackman stepping down, the X-Men franchise needs increased star power to carry the series; Ryan Reynolds could easily fill that void.
The Current X-Men Series Stands On Shaky Ground
Very few (if any) X-Men fans would be willing to say that X-Men: Apocalypse represents the X-Men franchise's best efforts. The 2016 summer blockbuster fizzled at the box office and left the X-Men series on the shakiest ground it has seen since X-Men: The Last Stand. It wasn't bad per se, but it failed to live up to the benchmark of the movies that immediately preceded it. There's no better time to retool a franchise than after a lackluster film. Considering the overall reduced enthusiasm for the X-Men series right now, a full-blown reboot of the franchise could be just what the series needs to really get back on its feet.
Rebooting Will Eventually Make Recasting Easier
Just in case you hadn't already heard: Hugh Jackman is definitely done as Wolverine. The actor will step down from the role that made him a household name after Logan hits theaters in March, and we will see very little of the clawed mutant hero for the foreseeable future. This has become a general issue for 20th Century Fox, as major players in the X-Men universe like Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence have not confirmed whether or not they have any intention of coming back for their vital roles. By rebooting the entire franchise, the X-Men series has the opportunity to fill in certain vital roles while inking new performers to potentially long-term deals. That's a tactic that Marvel has begun to employ with regularity, and it seems to be working wonders for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Current Franchise Has Reached A Logical Conclusion
Despite the fact that X-Men: Apocalypse underperformed in the eyes of most X-Men fans, it did deliver one very important element for the franchise: closure. Sure, it set up plenty of potential storylines for the future, but the final moments of the movie really brought quite a bit of Bryan Singer's X-Men mythos full circle. We saw the titular team finally assemble in proper fashion; we saw the birth of the chrome-domed Charles Xavier; we even saw a scene between Magneto and Professor X echoing the conversation shared by the characters during the original X-Men movie in 2000. If 20th Century Fox decides to reboot the X-Men franchise soon, then the finale of Apocalypse could serve as a genuinely satisfying conclusion to an era of mutant action.
What're your thoughts on this issue? Do you think the X-Men franchise should reboot, or is it a good idea for 20th Century Fox to stay the course? Let us know what you think in the comments section so that we can keep this conversation going!
