Ascendants (2026 film)
| Ascendants | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Finnian Hawke |
| Written by | |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Freddie Goodwin |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Mira Silverleaf |
| Music by | Ludwig Göransson |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release date | February 12, 2026 |
Running time | 121 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $375 million |
| Box office | $553.67 million |
Ascendants is a 2026 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. Produced by Mob Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 5th film in the Mob Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the final entry of Phase One. Directed by Finnian Hawke and written by Ulysses Black and Freddie Goodwin, and stars Chris Hemsworth as Kael Thorne / Stormborne, alongside Venessa Kirby, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Danny Ramirez, Pedro Pascal, and Robert Downey Jr.. In the film, a coalition of mutants and heroes — dubbed the "Ascendants" — must unite to stop Virex (Downey), an ancient being who threatens to collapse all realities into one.
Ascendants was originally titled The Mutants before being officially retitled in December 2023. Following the name change, it was announced that composer Ludwig Göransson would score the film and assist in editing its soundtrack to incorporate thematic elements from previous entries in the MCU.
Initial reports of Mob Productions developing a film based on the X-Men property emerged in June 2020, with sources indicating that the project would not carry the traditional "X-Men" title and would instead focus more broadly on the concept of mutants. In 2021, Mob Productions officially announced plans for a new cinematic universe centered around a "Mutant vs. Hero" narrative, which was widely speculated to involve the Avengers. The film was later confirmed as the culminating installment of Phase One and was set to introduce original mutant characters alongside returning heroes from earlier MCU entries.
Ascendants was in the United States on February 12, 2026, as part of Phase One of the MCU. The film was given positive reviews from critics, stating that the film was a huge step forward in telling a story. Despite the positive reviews, Ascendants grossed $553.67 million, against a budget of $375 million. A sequel is in development.
Plot
Eight months after the events of The Wolverine: Rebirth, Logan has retired to Earth-10005, living in seclusion with Laura Kinney. The peace is disrupted when multiversal rifts begin tearing through time and space. These anomalies are traced back to Virex, a trans-dimensional entity forged from corrupted Stark-tech and alien neurotech. Believing the multiverse is broken, Virex seeks to collapse all timelines into one “perfect” reality under his control.
Wade Wilson, now reconciled with Vanessa and still residing on Earth-10005, is approached by TVA agents, who inform him that the rifts are threatening to erase entire realities—including his own. When the TVA fails to contain the crisis, Wade reunites with Logan and joins a resistance effort that spans the multiverse. They recruit allies including Laura, Gambit, Mystique, and the remaining members of the “Others” from the Void.
Meanwhile, on Earth-616, Reed Richards detects the same temporal disturbances and reassembles the Fantastic Four. With Sue, Johnny, and Ben, he locates the multiversal signal source: remnants of Planet Zero merged with corrupted Chronal Energy. Realizing the danger posed by Virex, the team establishes a temporary alliance with Kael Thorne / Stormborne, a mutant capable of stabilizing temporal distortions.
As timelines begin collapsing, the group is joined by heroes from multiple Earths, including Nyari Sol, Elira Voss / Mirage, Korran Sha / Skyburn, and Milo Creel / Skipjack. They trace Virex’s movements to a multiversal nexus—a synthetic core where he plans to rewrite the structure of reality using stolen quantum data and remnants of the Time Ripper.
Virex reveals that he has absorbed technology from destroyed universes and manipulated events across time to force convergence. His plan accelerates when he captures the anchor beings of several timelines, including Logan, whose genetic resilience has stabilized multiple realities. In a final confrontation, Wade, Logan, Laura, the Fantastic Four, and the multiversal team battle Virex across collapsing worlds. Stormborne uses his atmospheric powers to delay temporal compression, while Reed and Sue disrupt Virex’s synthetic core.
The battle ends when Logan sacrifices his connection to the multiverse anchor, weakening Virex enough for Wade and Laura to destroy his core. Virex disintegrates as timelines begin to heal. The TVA, restructured under Hunter B-15, seals off dangerous multiversal pathways. Logan survives but is left permanently severed from the anchor role, allowing him to live peacefully with Laura in Wade’s timeline.
The surviving heroes return to their realities, with Stormborne remaining in Earth-616 to help monitor future incursions. Reed Richards warns of deeper cosmic instability, setting the stage for further multiversal conflicts.
Cast
- Chris Hemsworth as Kael Thorne / Stormborne
- Taron Egerton as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine
- Venessa Kirby as Elira Voss / Mirage
- Letitia Wright as Nyari Sol
- Paul Rudd as Milo Creel / Skipjack
- Sadie Sink as Laura Kinney / X-23
- Sebastian Stan as Dax Riven / Hollow
- Florence Pugh as Mariko Yashida
- Simu Liu as Korran Sha / Skyburn
- Danny Ramirez as Jet Calder
- Pedro Pascal as Solon Rhade / Architect
- Robert Downey Jr. as Virex
Production
Development
Early work as The Mutants
In early 2020, Freddie Goodwin announced that he was developing an ambitious shared cinematic universe, inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe but with a greater emphasis on action over drama. One of the earliest projects, The Mutants, entered development but remained in limbo for three years. On June 12, 2022, during a digital presentation hosted by studio executive Jordan Goodwin, Mob Productions officially unveiled the full Phase One slate for the Mob Cinematic Universe (MCU). The lineup included titles such as The Fantastic Four (2024) and Doctor Doom (2025), both positioned as narrative keystones leading to a larger crossover event. It was confirmed that The Mutants would serve as the final installment of Phase One, uniting lead characters from all previous entries. Goodwin stated that the events of Doctor Doom would have “direct ramifications” for the stakes and worldbuilding of The Mutants, while The Fantastic Four would act as the “emotional and scientific gateway” to the film’s central conflict. By September 2023, Goodwin had begun the search for a director and met with Finnian Hawke, who expressed strong interest in helming the project. In December 2023, the film was officially renamed Ascendants.
By March 2024, Ascendants still lacked a finalized script, though the film’s overall scope had become more defined. In press interviews, Freddie Goodwin emphasized that Mob Productions would not rush development, stating that writers were being given “as much time as needed” to ensure narrative cohesion across the MCU. In April, lead actor Chris Hemsworth—who portrays Kael Thorne / Stormborne—revealed that he was participating in early creative discussions for the first time in his MCU involvement. He described the process as an opportunity to help shape the story’s emotional arc and noted the difficulty of balancing over two dozen characters amid a multiversal storyline, calling it “the most ambitious script I’ve ever seen.” In July 2024, Kevin Feige, who serves as executive producer through a collaborative arrangement, confirmed that a complete draft of the script was “nearly locked.”
New Director, cancellations and delays
In March 2024, it was reported that development on Ascendants had faced several setbacks, primarily related to the integration of characters introduced in the franchise’s television series. By June, Goodwin announced that Mob Productions had scrapped several planned projects to streamline the timeline of interconnected films and series. Around the same time, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that funding for all MCU television series was being reduced due to concerns over quality, though Young Justice (2025) and Crisis on Infinite Earths (2025) would proceed as planned, describing them as “vital for the future of the MCU.” Ascendants was initially scheduled for release on June 25, 2025, as the final installment of Phase One. However, in November 2024, the film was delayed to November 23, and was later pushed again on June 28, 2025, to its current release date.
These complications contributed to the delay of Ascendants and resulted in the removal of approximately a dozen characters from the film. Goodwin later stated that this decision was “the best option” for the long-term direction of the MCU. Following the changes, Hemsworth, who portrays Kael Thorne, revealed that he had witnessed at least seven actors being let go from the project. He described the situation as “greatly unfair” and expressed sympathy for those who had been excited to join the production.
Filming
Principal photography began on November 10, 2024, at Pinewood Studios in London, under the working title New World Store. The film will be shot for IMAX and officially concluded on February 26, 2025. Reshoots began in June 2025 and is set to end in August 2025.
Music
Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson began recording the score for Ascendants at Abbey Road Studios in London during the first week of February 2025. Göransson, known for his work on Black Panther (2018), Oppenheimer (2023), and The Mandalorian, was brought on to craft a sweeping and genre-blending score to match the film’s multiversal scope and ensemble scale. A soundtrack album featuring his compositions is scheduled to be released by Mob Music Group and Hollywood Records on February 6, 2026, ahead of the film’s theatrical debut.
Release
Ascendants was released in the United States on February 12, 2026, in IMAX, ScreenX, and 4DX formats. The film was previously slated for release on June 25 and November 23, 2025. It will serve as the fifth and final installment of Phase One of the MCU.