Ascendants (2026 film)

Ascendants
Directed by	Finnian Hawke
Written by	Ulysses Black
Based on	X-Men by Stan Lee Jack Kirby
Starring	Ryan Reynolds Hugh Jackman
Production company	Mob Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date	November 23, 2025 (2025-11-23)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$230 million

Ascendants is an upcoming 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 intended to be 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, the film features an ensemble cast including Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, 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.

Initial reports of Mob Productions developing an X-Men-based film surfaced in June 2020, with sources indicating the film would not carry the "X-Men" title and instead focus more broadly on 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 confirmed as the culmination of Phase One and would introduce original mutant characters alongside returning MCU heroes.

Ascendants is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 23, 2025, as part of Phase One of the MCU.

Premise

Set eight months after the events of The Wolverine: Rebirth (2025), the heroes of the MCU unite to confront Virex, whose actions threaten the fabric of the multiverse.

Cast

Main article: List of Mob Cinematic Universe characters

• Chris Hemsworth as Kael Thorne / Stormborne: A former sky marine turned lightning-wielding warrior after surviving a cataclysmic storm event. Kael is a brooding tactician who leads the Ascendants with raw power and burdened purpose.
• Vanessa Kirby as Elira Voss / Mirage: A stealth operative with the ability to bend light, rendering herself and others invisible. Elira is a former intelligence officer haunted by memories of a failed mission that wiped her unit.
• Anthony Mackie as Commander Rafe King: A decorated ex-military leader who now oversees Orbital Watch — a global defense agency. He is responsible for assembling the Ascendants.
• Sebastian Stan as Dax Riven / Hollow: A bio-engineered soldier who lost his emotions in an experimental procedure. He now struggles with morality as he seeks to rediscover his humanity.
• Letitia Wright as Nyari Sol: A gifted technopath who communicates with and manipulates machines. Nyari is the brains behind most of the Ascendants’ tech and believes in calculated justice.
• Paul Rudd as Milo Creel / Skipjack: A rogue time-bender with a criminal past who uses humor to mask his fractured timeline memories. He operates as the wildcard of the group.
• Wyatt Russell as Cain Vex / Deadmarch: A brutal enforcer once exiled for war crimes, now reinstated as the Ascendants' field hammer. His powers stem from void energy, allowing him to phase through solid matter.
• Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Vael T'Zan / Abyssion: A deep-sea sovereign from the sunken realm of Kyris, capable of manipulating water pressure and temperature. He’s caught between loyalty to his people and duty to Earth.
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Brannic Orne / Stonewake: A geomancer with unbreakable skin who draws strength from fault lines. He is deeply spiritual and distrustful of technology.
• Simu Liu as Korran Sha / Skyburn: An exiled prince from an airborne civilization who wields kinetic heat energy. Korran’s hot-headed nature often puts him at odds with his allies.
• Florence Pugh as Syla Ryn / Widowthorn: A deadly close-quarters assassin trained by a hidden order. She uses venom-coated blades and neurotoxins, but her true weapon is her intellect.
• Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Halric Mourn / Mindspire: A psychic scholar whose immense mental abilities are a byproduct of exposure to cosmic anomalies. He serves as the team's advisor — and their moral anchor.
• Lewis Pullman as Elias Graye / Sunder: A volatile superhuman with reality-disruption capabilities. Elias is feared by many, including himself, and lives in isolation until recruited.
• Danny Ramirez as Jet Calder: A high-speed aerial specialist who uses anti-grav propulsion to outmaneuver threats. Jet provides recon and quick response for the Ascendants.
• Joseph Quinn as Ash Talren / Emberwake: A pyrokinetic drifter who can manipulate fire and emotion. He joins the team reluctantly after his powers destroy his home colony.
• David Harbour as Marshal Dren Korvax: A militant commander from Earth’s last off-world colony. He enforces order with brutal efficiency and was once a rival of Rafe King.
• Winston Duke as Morvak / The Maw: A monstrous entity imprisoned for centuries beneath Earth’s crust. He joins the Ascendants under a truce, though many doubt his loyalty.
• Hannah John-Kamen as Kira Solis / Ghostveil: A covert operative who phases between dimensions, allowing her to spy undetected. Her existence may be tied to a greater cosmic force.
• Tom Hiddleston as Veynar Voss: Elira’s twin brother and a charismatic cult leader who believes the Ascendants are delaying humanity's "inevitable ascension."
• Patrick Stewart as Archsage Coran Vale: An elder seer who warns of an incoming event called "The Shatterpoint" — the convergence of all realities.
• Ian McKellen as Targan Drehl / Obelisk: A former warlord who once sought to destroy the Ascendants and now aids them under an uneasy alliance.
• Alan Cumming as Rylix Fen / Nightseer: A dream-walker who explores minds during sleep. Rylix holds the map to a forgotten realm critical to the Ascendants' mission.
• Rebecca Romijn as Sable Nocturne: A shape-shifter from an alien race that sees Earth’s survival as linked to her species’ extinction.
• James Marsden as Valen Kray / Pulse: A hyperkinetic energy user who can disrupt technology and generate force blasts.
• Channing Tatum as Jax Rune / Rift: A dimensional smuggler who accidentally uncovers the coming Shatterpoint and is forced into the conflict.
• Pedro Pascal as Solon Rhade / Architect: A genius strategist who can “build” physical structures from thought. He guides the Ascendants through an interdimensional warzone.
• Robert Downey Jr. as Virex: The film’s antagonist — an ancient being of logic and order, who seeks to collapse reality into a singular, perfect timeline.

Production

Development

In June 2020, it was rumored that Mob Productions was developing a film based on the X-Men. Insiders reported that the film wouldn't have "X-Men" in the title and would focus more on the "mutants" of the teams. By 2021, Mob Productions pubically announced they were making a cinematic universe focusing on a "Mutant vs. Hero" story — which was at the time believed to be the Avengers.

On June 12, 2022, during a online presentation, Goodwin announced a slate of films planned to be part of "Phase One" of the Mob Cinematic Universe. Concluding the phase is Ascendants, a film that features all the heroes seen in prior films and sets the stage for the story that will playout through the entire saga. He stated that the events of both the The Fantastic Four (2024) and Doctor Doom (2025) films will play huge roles in Ascendants.

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 are set to begin in June 2025 and will last until September 2025.