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The networks' efforts to make all television programming feature superheroes by the year 2020 are coming to fruition. Fox, which currently wades in the superhero pool with its pre-Batman series Gotham, is in early talks for a live-action X-Men series, TV Insider reports.
An X-Men television series sounds like a shoo-in during a time where superhero fandom is peaking, but there are all sorts of messy legal hurdles standing in the way.
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Chief among them is that even though Fox owns the rights to the X-Men movies, Marvel still holds the rights to the comics, meaning Fox would need permission from Marvel to move forward with an X-Men television series. And because Marvel is currently in bed with partner ABC (as both are owned by Disney), Marvel might not be too forthcoming about letting rivals get their hands on one of its most famous properties. Marvel and ABC currently have Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airing, but Marvel has shown an interest in branching out and has a deal with Netflix to produce four Marvel series.
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"It's in negotiations," Fox Entertainment chairman Gary Newman said. "We're cautiously optimistic, we have a good meeting with [Marvel]. That will not be on a fast track creatively. This is just the deal, now we have to find the creative."
As such, there's no word on what the X-Men series would be about. Still, the confirmation that Fox is looking into an X-Menseries has to be exciting for superhero fans even though one wouldn't be ready before the 2016-2017 season.
Are you ready for more superheroes on television?
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