X-Men fans had a big 2016, thanks to the release of X-Men: Apocalypse, even though the film did receive some mixed views from audiences. While the future of that big screen franchise is being worked out, Marvel continues going all out on the small screen, and the company's in-development X-Men series at Fox is apparently close to moving forward. While details about the project are still being kept under wraps, creator Matt Nix (of Burn Notice fame) has delivered the best answer yet about whether the TV show and the film universe will be connected.
Without getting into specifics that I'll get murdered for getting into, I would say that a fan of the movies -- particularly the movies, but also the comic books -- would not be disoriented at all as to where this fits in the mythology. I guess I'd say that if you look at the movies, which take place from whatever, they started in 2000 to now... they don't all line up perfectly. You know what I mean? So it's not like, I'm not slavishly fitting myself into a particular slot. But at the same time, if you like that world, if you like the world of the movies, there are definite nods to it. It definitely exists in the same general kind of universe, if that makes sense.
As it almost always goes with in-development comic book projects, the specific wording in Matt Nix's answer is almost as important as the general answer itself. On the most basic level, yes, the X-Men world of the TV is in some way connected to the six features that have hit theaters since 2000. (And hopefully Deadpool and New Mutants, too, if we're getting crazy with it.) But because it took him roughly half an afternoon to arrive at that thought, that almost definitely means there are zero plans for clear and concrete ties between the show and the movies, so don't expect character crossovers. (It appears to be somewhat similar to FX's Legion in that sense, though with a far different tone.)
Not that the TV show should have to rely on seeing James McAvoy's Professor X or Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique stopping by for a cameo. As Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil and all the rest of Marvel's Netflix series have proven, a lot of the MCU's connective tissue can be formed just through verbal references to other projects, so I guess the nature of those references would depend on what point in what timeline the show's narrative would be set. And that's just the kind of speculation we could spend hours talking about. And we will, too.
While there hasn't even been a pilot order put in yet by Fox, that's expected to happen soon, and then we'll hopefully get some hard facts on what this project will be about. Plus, all that sweet, sweet casting news. ccording to IGN, Matt Nix expects there to be somewhere around 12 or 13 episodes if the show gets a first season order, to keep the plot taut, so it's seemingly only good news to be had for this project.
Until we get something confirmed from the network, though, head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what your TVs will definitely have to offer in the near future. Spoilers: you won't find Fox's Hellfire project there.
