‘X-Men’ screenwriter Zak Penn excited about MCU’s revival of franchise

One of the posters for “X-Men: The Last Stand.” Image: 20th Century Fox

TOKYO, Japan — Zak Penn, co-screenwriter of “X2” and “X-Men: The Last Stand,” said he is excited about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’s interpretation of the superhero franchise, noting it as a testament to its enduring legacy.

Penn said the X-Men’s “incredible science fiction and superhero premise,” as well as the storyline of an “oppressed minority” taking up space, are some of the franchise’s standout elements.

“One of the things about X-Men is that it has an incredible science fiction and superhero premise,” he told reporters at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards orange carpet.

“Sometimes, people are like, ‘What do you mean?’ ‘What is that? It’s the difference between someone who puts on a costume to fight crime and people who are part of an oppressed minority fighting back for themselves,” he continued.

Penn said that the elements as mentioned earlier were also the reasons why he “wanted to write it so badly,” recalling that he also had the privilege of discussing its storyline with the late Stan Lee. “It’s one of the juiciest things in the Marvel universe, I was fortunate enough to talk about it with Stan Lee years ago.”

“It’s something that I’m far more interested in than seeing what the next iteration of the Spider-Mans, Supermans, Batmans, and I feel like I’ve seen a lot of this. But I guess I’ve seen a lot of X-Men too, so I don’t think it’s fair,” he added while giggling.

Touching on the revival of the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the screenwriter said the updated take on the mutants’ story would be “exciting.” It was previously reported that the X-Men will appear in the upcoming film “Avengers: Doomsday.”

“I think it will be interesting to see. I have a lot of faith in Kevin Feige, who has got something good locked up,” he said, referring to the Marvel Studios head.

Penn also looked back at the times when X-Men was “not taken seriously” in Hollywood, saying he spent five years convincing his colleagues that it was a superhero franchise worth taking a chance on.

“It was really when I first got into Hollywood that it was the case where they were all lumped together and not in a positive way. There’s a disparaging attitude between comic books and anime, that it was just kids’ stuff,” he said.

“I spent the first five years trying to convince people that the ‘X-Men’ were worth taking seriously. I’m mostly that just gratified that anime, comic books, and sequential art have finally gotten their due,” he further added.

Created by Lee and Jack Kirby, the “X-Men” first appeared in the comics “The X-Men” in 1963. It has since evolved into a global phenomenon with several animated series and live-action films attached to its name.

Some of the franchise’s notable films include “X2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” to name just a few.

Feige announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019 that a film centered on the X-Men is in development, although details of its storyline and cast remain unknown. The superhero mutants will nonetheless be included in “Avengers: Doomsday.” /edv