Mark Millar, the man currently consulting on Fox's slate of superhero films, which includes the ever-expanding X-Men franchise and the impending Fantastic Four reboot, has every intention of crafting a shared universe between the two franchises. In an interview with SFX, Millar enthusiastically endorsed the idea. "“Without question I think you have to see some of these guys showing up in each other’s movies. I think the most exciting thing in superhero movies, until The Avengers came along, was when Nick Fury showed up in Iron Man. Even though it was a guy with an eye patch it was really cool – and I expect we will see more of that.”
While the X-Men films continue to be box-office success stories, the Fantastic Four hasn't had an easy time of it, as the previous two films weren't particularly well-received by critics or fans. Linking Marvel's first family with the franchise that made the current wave of cinematic superhero success stories possible is certainly one way to get some support. With the emphasis on super-science that seems to be taking center stage in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past with Bolivar Trask and the Sentinels, a mention of the team that occupies the Baxter Building doesn't seem all that far-fetched. The Fantastic Four reboot is currently scheduled for a March 6, 2015 release, with Chronicle director Josh Trank in place to helm the film.
Mark Millar has clarified this statement a bit via Twitter:
I keep seeing 'news' that X-Men & FF movies are crossing over. No, they're not. They exist in same universe but movies stand alone.
— Mark Millar (@mrmarkmillar) August 19, 2013
This is sensible. The X-Men franchise is crowded enough, and the nascent Fantastic Four franchise need to stand on its own feet before they can branch out into other things. However, none of this rules out the possibility of Reed Richards or Charles Xavier name-checking the other in one of these films, or even brief cameos. It simply means that we won't be getting X-Men vs. The Fantastic Four any time soon!