Cinematographer Pat Scola to Direct New X-Men Movie

Marvel Studios has once again turned its attention to an operator of intimate dramas.

Pat Scola will serve as the cinematographer for Marvel Studios’ new X-Men film. He listed the film in his filmography on his official website, thereby confirming his participation in the project.

Scola has worked on all three feature-length films directed by Michael Sarnoski: Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One, and The Death of Robin Hood. He also shot the prison drama Sing Sing, which received three Academy Award nominations.

In his work, Scola often uses natural lighting and avoids an overly polished image. For instance, Sing Sing was shot on 16mm film with vintage lenses to achieve a rougher, more vivid texture. How this approach will look in a superhero blockbuster remains unknown.

For Marvel Studios, this kind of cinematographer choice is not entirely new. The first and second Iron Man films were shot by Matthew Libatique, who previously worked with Darren Aronofsky on Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain. Meanwhile, the director of the new X-Men film, Jake Schreier, brought in Andrew Droz Palermo for Thunderbolts, who is known for the intimate A Ghost Story and The Green Knight.

The new X-Men will be the first standalone film about the team created by Marvel Studios following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. The film is scheduled for release on May 5, 2028.