Marvel is already planning what comes after "Avengers: Secret Wars," and one name on its list is a good one.
The Cosmic Circus's Alex Perez, who is fairly reliable as far as I'm concerned, known as a Tier-1 scooper, reports that Dan Trachtenberg is in talks to write and direct an MCU movie for the Mutant era.
Per the report, it's a theatrical feature. It's also a single-character film, not an ensemble piece. Of course, talks aren't a deal, but this would make total sense, as Trachtenberg has become one of the most reliable genre filmmakers working in IP today.
Consider the résumé. "10 Cloverfield Lane" (2016) was a tense debut. Then came "Prey" in 2022, which went straight to Hulu and still revived the "Predator" franchise. It earned two Emmy nominations. He followed that with "Predator: Killer of Killers," an animated anthology. Then "Predator: Badlands" opened to positive reviews last year.
So what's the project? Nova, with Michael Waldron's script, is the obvious guess given Trachtenberg's sci-fi chops. The never-ending "Blade" saga is another possibility. However, Cryptic Media hints at Wolverine.
It's become an open secret that Marvel is developing a solo Wolverine project for the next saga. Marvel's newly announced X-Men reboot, with Jake Schreier directing, doesn't include Wolverine. Hugh Jackman is 58. At some point, Marvel has to hand the role to a new actor, and the smartest way to do that might be a standalone film.
Can you picture Trachtenberg doing a stripped-down, brutal, survival-driven Wolverine movie? If only Kevin Feige could loosen up a bit and make it “R” rated. Regardless, Trachtenberg is busy, though. He's also developing a new take on "Sleeping Beauty" for Disney, which tells you how much the studio trusts him.
Whatever the project turns out to be, this is the type of hire Marvel needs. It needs filmmakers who can excite. James Mangold did just that with his R-rated "Logan," still one of the best comic book movies released by a major studio. Here's hoping we get another one like that.
Dan Trachtenberg is in talks to write and direct an MCU movie for the Mutant era. Per the report, it's a theatrical feature. It's also a single-character film, not an ensemble piece.