Ascendants (2026 film)

Ascendants
Directed by	Finnian Hawke
Written by	Ulysses Black Freddie Goodwin
Based on	X-Men by Stan Lee Jack Kirby
Produced by	Freddie Goodwin
Starring	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 Robert Downey Jr.
Cinematography	Mira Silverleaf
Production company	Mob Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date	February 12, 2026 (2026-02-12)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$375 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 and Freddie Goodwin, 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 February 12, 2026, 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
• Venessa Kirby as Elira Voss / Mirage
• Letitia Wright as Nyari Sol
• Paul Rudd as Milo Creel / Skipjack
• 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.

4. Paul Rudd – Milo Creel / Skipjack

✓ Comic relief + time-bending = exposition and levity vehicle.

5. Sebastian Stan – Dax Riven / Hollow

✓ Emotionless soldier trying to regain humanity = solid character arc.

6. Florence Pugh – Syla Ryn / Widowthorn

✓ Assassin with brains and venom — perfect for espionage and betrayal arcs.

7. Simu Liu – Korran Sha / Skyburn

✓ High-energy, great foil for Stormborne’s stoicism. Adds edge and speed.

8. Danny Ramirez – Jet Calder

✓ Air support, young gun, helps visually break up fights. Could be your Hawkeye/Falcon.

9. Pedro Pascal – Solon Rhade / Architect

✓ Your exposition-dump master. Strategy and “worldbuilder” – vital for plot delivery.

10. Robert Downey Jr. – Virex (Villain)

✓ Needs no explanation. Keep him central, terrifying, philosophical, and logical.

• 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.

Production

Development

Early work

During the early months of 2020, Freddie Goodwin, who announced that he was working on developing a ambitious shared universe, inspired by the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but with a bigger focus on action instead of drama. Work on Ascendants was in development hell for three years, and was picked up in 2023 to be included in the Mob Cinematic Universe (MCU). On June 12, 2022, during a digital presentation hosted by studio executive Jordan Goodwin, Mob Productions formally revealed its full Phase One slate of films for the MCU. The lineup included titles such as The Fantastic Four (2024) and Doctor Doom (2025), both of which were teased as narrative keystones for a larger confrontation. Goodwin confirmed that the concluding film of Phase One would be Ascendants, an ensemble crossover project uniting the leads from all previous MCU entries. He emphasized that the events of Doctor Doom would have “direct ramifications” for the worldbuilding and stakes of Ascendants, with The Fantastic Four serving as the “emotional and scientific gateway” to the story’s central conflict. By September 2023, Goodwin was searching for a director and met up with Finnian Hawke, who showed extreme interest in directing the film.

By March 2024, Ascendants still lacked a finalized script, though the scope of the film had become clearer. Goodwin reiterated in press interviews that Mob Productions would not rush production, stating the writers were being given “as much time as needed” to ensure narrative cohesion across the MCU. Lead actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays Kael Thorne / Stormborne, stated in April that he was involved in early creative discussions for the first time in his MCU tenure, citing the opportunity to shape the story’s emotional arc. He noted the challenge was balancing over two dozen characters across multiversal events, calling it “the most ambitious script I’ve ever seen.” Kevin Feige, serving as executive producer through a collaborative arrangement, confirmed in July 2024 that a complete script draft was “nearly locked.”

New Director and delays

See also: Mob Cinematic Universe: Phase One § Development

In March 2024, it was reported that development on the film had suffered from various problems relating to the television series of the franchise and how to manage the characters introduced in them. By June of that year, Goodwin had announced that Mob Productions were scrapping a handful of projects to allow a smoother timeline of films and series. Bob Iger announced that the funding for all the television series in the MCU was being cut due to the lack of quality, but will follow through for the series Young Justice (2025) and Crisis on Infinite Earths (2025), as they are "vital for the future of the MCU". The film was put on a set date on June 25, 2025 to be released as the final film of Phase One, but was delayed in November 2024 to November 23. On June 28, 2025, the film was delayed to its current date.

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.

Release

Ascendants is scheduled to be released in the United States on February 12, 2026, in IMAX, ScreenX, and 4DX. It was previously scheduled for June 25, 2025; November 23, 2025. It will be the fifth film, and final, of Phase One of the MCU.