Incoming X-Men Editor Tom Brevoort is solely focused on moving the franchise forward with its “From the Ashes” relaunch, leaving no room for the “re-litigation” of creative decisions from the past several years – including, for better or worse, the complex romantic dynamic between mutant heroes Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine.

Writing on his Substack, Brevoort offered a firm explanation of his position regarding the purpose of his role as the head of the X-Office. His answer came in response to a question soliciting the Editor’s “interpretation” of a particularly amorous scene between Jean Grey and Wolverine.

According to Tom Brevoort, his responsibility as X-Editor is not to “fix” previous stories, but to add to the ongoing tapestry of X-Men lore in new, exciting ways. In other words, he does not prioritize addressing fans’ concerns about controversial plot points, unless it is to the benefit of telling a new, more impactful story.

Senior X-Men Editor Says His Job Is To “Tell New Stories,” Not “Fix” Old Ones

Tom Brevoort On His Role At Marvel

As with any creative shake-up, the X-Men franchise’s move away from the Krakoan Era on the page has also been accompanied by changes behind the scenes. Most notably, Editor Jordan D. White concluded his tenure as the head of Marvel’s X-Office, In his six years at the top of the X-franchise, White oversaw the most dramatic redefinition of the series in Marvel’s history; now, as the publisher seeks to reset its mutants to a more recognizable status quo, veteran Tom Brevoort has stepped in to replace White.

Brevoort has so far proven to be open and honest about the editorial direction he and Marvel are taking the X-Men, and he has been unequivocal in regard to his position on certain topics. Chief among them, the Senior Editor has sought to make it clear that it isn’t in the best interest of X-Men storytelling for his goal to be rectifying the “problems” of past stories. As he stated on his Substack:

If there’s some future point where some writer wants to address [a plot point] and it feels like a natural part of the story, then fine. But my job isn’t to “fix” earlier stories, it’s to tell new ones, so that’s where the emphasis will be.

In other words, Brevoort and the X-Office are dead-set on pushing the franchise forward, even as it returns to a more familiar form in certain ways.

For readers, this stance should be reassuring, as it makes clear that Marvel’s intention for “From the Ashes,” is not to undermine the innovations of the Krakoan Era, but to let another set of creators be innovative in their own way. In whatever way, the X-Men relaunch engages with the last five years worth of material, it will be with the goal of crafting the next exciting chapter in franchise history, rather than dwelling on its past.

Tom Brevoort Rejected The Need To “Correct” A Steamy Jean Grey/Wolverine Scene

X-Force #10 – Written By Ben Percy; Art By Joshua Cassara; Color By GURU-eFX; Lettering By Joe Caramagna

Tom Brevoort has previously been dismissive of the idea that the “From the Ashes” Era of X-Men will expound upon the polyamorous connection between Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Wolverine. Notably, however, his explanation of his editorial position on “fixing” stories came in response to a query about the X-Office having “a plan in place in your future stories to counter” one of the more explicit depictions of physical intimacy between Logan and Jean. The scene in question occurred in X-Force #10, featuring a romantic encounter between the two heroes in a hot spring.

Brevoort declined to share the reader’s sense of urgency about the scene, or its implications. He wrote in reply:

I don’t feel any need to do some sort of reversal to Ben’s scene from that X-FORCE issue after so much time has passed. The number of people for whom that’s relevant is small and scant. It isn’t keeping most readers up at night. Rather, we’ll simply move ahead into the future.

This exchange emphasizes the delicate position the X-Office’s Senior Editor is in, when it comes to engaging with the fandom. Fans who advocate for the complex Wolverine/Jean Grey/Cyclops relationship dynamic alluded to in the Krakoan Era were disappointed by his dismissal of it, but fans who thoroughly dislike the idea will be unhappy to hear it is not a high priority to definitively erase it from canon.

Still, on an abstract level, fans should appreciate that “fixing” previous stories is not Tom Brevoort – or Marvel’s – approach to continuity. That would not result in the best possible X-Men stories, which Brevoort and the creators of the “From the Ashes” Era have made it clear is their goal above all else. While this means that they will produce takes on the franchise, and its iconic characters, that diverge from the previous era, it by no means invalidates everything that has come before.

“Storytelling Space” Is Too Precious To Spend On Countering Earlier Plotlines

Stories Are All About Forward Momentum

Tom Brevoort’s emphatic clarification of the role of the Editor in shaping continuity should hopefully guide readers to a more holistic reading of X-Men stories. As he wrote:

I’m hopeful that this will be the last word on it for the moment, though I fear that it won’t. But I’m not going to waste one iota of storytelling space on re-litigating stories from years ago.

Rather than “waste” valuable narrative real-estate, Brevoort and the creative teams across various X-titles will remain dedicated to delivering the most impactful story on a monthly basis. Certainly, the stories of the “From the Ashes” Era will interact with X-Men lore, but it can be said that they will do so as a narrative byproduct, rather than a storytelling motivation.

With this in mind, readers should themselves consider placing more emphasis on stories in their own right, rather than the story’s canonicity, or its relationship to existing lore. While the in-universe mythology, and the real-world intertextuality of the franchise certainly holds its own value as part of the reading experience, first and foremost, fans should engage with stories on an emotional and intellectual level, in order to best understand how the franchise is being used by its creators. By refusing to engage with plot as a corrective measure, Editor Tom Brevoort affirms that individual stories are more important than overarching lore.

“From The Ashes” Is The Birth Of A New X-Men Paradigm

Start Of A Fresh Cycle

Though commonly called “eras,” periods of X-Men storytelling are perhaps better understood as “cycles,” as in a complete set of works that share common characters, themes, and plots. The name of the franchise’s latest Era, “From the Ashes” is of course a reference to the Phoenix Force – but it doubles as a general phoenix metaphor, suggesting that the X-franchise is engaged in an endless cycle of beginnings and endings, that it has died and been reborn anew. “From the Ashes” is now just in its infancy, but soon it will be soaring to heights as thrilling as the Krakoan Era.

The relaunched X-titles will be both the same, and different, but as Senior Editor Tom Brevoort explained, the important thing is that they will continue to move forward. As the “From the Ashes” Era progresses, different creative teams will have their chances to interpret X-Men lore, to resurrect old ideas, and to put new spins on classic character dynamics. At its core, this was what the Krakoan Era did so successfully; however the next several years of X-Men stories may look, if they carry forward that key ethos, fans will find themselves satisfied.