Edgar Wright Nearly Directed an X-Men Movie,Producer Reveals 25-Year Pursuit
A decades-long effort to collaborate with acclaimed director Edgar Wright almost resulted in the filmmaker taking the helm of an X-Men project,according to producer Simon Kinberg. The revelation came during a red carpet event for Wright’s latest film, The running Man, which opened in theaters November 13, 2025.
Wright, best known for his visually dynamic and comedic films like Shaun of the Dead, has a well-documented, though ultimately unrealized, history with Marvel Studios. He was initially attached to direct Ant-Man during Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but creative differences lead to his departure. This history has fueled speculation among fans about what could have been. now,it appears there was an even larger opportunity with the X-Men franchise.
Kinberg, who oversaw the X-Men film series for 20th Century Fox from 2006 to 2020 – encompassing the bulk of the franchise’s run under that studio – shared his long-standing admiration for Wright and his persistent attempts to get the director involved in a superhero project. “I’ve been trying to make a movie with Edgar Wright for over 25 years,” Kinberg stated to the official Movies X account.”We met when we were young guys in Hollywood, just starting out together, and I’ve been such a huge fan of his. I’ve sent him things over the years, manny, many [things], X-Men movies, all kinds of things, and he always said no.”
Hear’s the full quote from Kinberg:
https://twitter.com/Movies/status/vNsL6O1X1L
Kinberg’s extraordinary track record includes producing films with directors like Matthew Vaughn, James Mangold, Tim Miller, and David leitch. The thought of Wright’s signature style applied to films like X-Men: First Class, Deadpool, or even New Mutants – though he jokingly suggested the latter might not have been a good fit – is a tantalizing prospect for fans.
While the specific X-Men films offered to Wright remain undisclosed, Kinberg indicated that multiple projects were pitched. The reasons behind Wright’s repeated declinations are unknown, though his previous experience with Marvel may have played a role. In a landscape filled with near misses and “what ifs” in the world of blockbuster filmmaking, this revelation adds another layer of intrigue to Wright’s career and the ever-evolving history of the X-Men on the big screen. berg finally materialized with The Running man, now playing in theaters. Readers interested in learning more about the project can find an interview with Wright discussing his experience working with Kinberg here.
