Brian Michael Bendis has been the writer for a number of X-Men books since 2012 but now Bendis has spoken with CBR News to announce his departure from the X-Men books. Bendis explains that he is departing from the books to pursue other projects.
Brian Michael Bendis: It's funny -- I've become known for doing the longest Avengers run ever and the longest Spider-Man run ever, so I had to tell myself, "I don't have to do that every time! I don't have to stay on every book forever."
Over the course of the last few years, I will have written almost 90 issues of X-Men. That's a good run! One of the best parts about being on X-Men was that I knew I was never going to hit Chris Claremont's X-Men record, so I was free of whatever that is that drives such a thing.
Last year, we were planning everything out, and boy, "Uncanny" #600 came like two weeks before "Secret Wars." So I thought, "That's interesting! Let's make the most out of that!" I can't say too much other than what a perfect thing for the X-Men to have an anniversary issue just before "Secret Wars!"
Then at the same time, we were putting together a plan for things. I had gone up to the Marvel offices separate from the usual Marvel retreats. I sat in a room with everybody and went over some stuff. There were a couple of things that had been offered to me over the years that I couldn't do because I didn't have time or it wasn't the right time. These couple of other things, though, are really starting to cook in my head creatively. I really want to do them, but I can't do everything.
Then it was just like, what better place than "Secret Wars" to wrap things up on X-Men? You started with "Avengers Vs. X-Men," and you wrap it up with "Secret Wars." This is going to serve as a great launching pad for the next things that I wanted to do, which I really, really want to do. And as much as I really, really want to write X-Men I really want to do these things, too!
Bendis also pokes a bit of fun at the paranoid fans who think that the X-Men are being pushed back in favor of the Inhumans.
BENDIS: So that's it. I'd like you to open this article by saying the reason I'm leaving the X-Men is Marvel is killing them all, or turning them all into Inhumans, and either I got on board with the program or I was out! So I'm out! Because I WILL NOT ALLOW THE TRAVESTY OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE X-MEN DURING "SECRET WARS," where you find out they were all Magneto's children the whole time and that Magneto was the first Inhuman! I didn't want to be part of all it. So I'm excusing myself.
[Laughs] No matter what we say in this article, there will be conspiracy theories. Reactions of, "AH HA! HERE IT COMES!" There's a lot of conspiracy about the X-Men, for some readers. No matter what I say, there's going to be a part of the audience here who will think that this is part of whatever it is they think Marvel is trying to do to the X-Men. That's not the case. I know my departure is not going to help the paranoid people who think the X-Men's days at Marvel are numbered. That's not what this means. I know you're not going to believe me, but I wish you would.