Audiences have awaited theX-Menentering theMarvel Cinematic Universeever since Fox was acquired by Disney in 2019, and new details from Kevin Feige give necessary insight on when this event will finally occur. Fox did a great deal of work with the popular mutant IP over the years, crafting thebest and worst ofX-Menover the course of 14 films. While many of these characters have become pop culture icons in their own right,many still anticipate a reboot of the property for proper inclusion in the MCU,which is set to happen soon.
The X-Men became especially important to comic books in the mid-1970s, when Chris Claremont reinvigorated the classic Marvel property with new life for a new time.This kind of storytelling was pervasive in X-Men ‘97, with many calling the series one of the best iterations of the heroes yet.Following this path, using colorful costumes and some of thebest X-Men characters, seems to be the way forward in the MCU. New details finally give audiences an idea of what to expect, and how soon this is likely to occur.
Mutants Are Already In The MCU (But There’s No Real Plan Yet)
Several Marvel Characters Have Been Confirmed To Be Mutants
Ever since Marvel took back the rights to the X-Men, they have made some interesting choices with what to do with that access. After a Quicksilver fake-out inWandaVision,they confirmed that Ms. Marvel was a mutant, playing the original X-Men theme with the reveal.They also introduced Namor, the first mutant, inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever. A few othermutants exist in the MCU, especially as characters from the Fox X-Men universe have found their way into MCU films through multiverse travel. This saw Charles Xavier inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Most recently, Beast appeared in thepost-credit scene fromThe Marvels, thenDeadpool & Wolverinesaw the titular heroes joining the franchise in an unclear way.Neither of these inclusions or their stories have been forthcoming on how they play into the larger MCU timeline.Where Beast will appear next seems inconclusive, especially withMarvel’s recent post-credits trendof not following up on teases, and the future of Deadpool and Wolverine seems to have no plans concretely made, despite rumors.
Kevin Feige’s Latest Comments Back Up A Major MCU Timeline Theory
Avengers: Secret Wars Will Be A Big Ending To The Current Iteration Of The MCU
Speaking withComicBook.com, Kevin Feige said that"This time, heading into Secret Wars, we already know very well what the story is going to be up until then and after that. The X-Men are an important part of that future.”This suggests that the appearance of mutants and the X-Men will not take place until after the Multiverse Saga. It has been rumored for some time that the franchise would move into the Mutant Saga, with a fullMCU universe reboot, after the end ofSecret Wars, and this seems to confirm that.
Comparing the state of the MCU to what is was like withAvengers: Endgame,Feige said"we had to start all over again after that.”Many believe that theMCU will reboot afterAvengers 6in the same way that the “Secret Wars” comics in the past were used to do this. While much in the MCU still works, exploring societal themes of mutant-conflict, would not fit in the universe as it is. Giving the franchise a soft-reboot, in a new universe where mutants have existed, would make sense for moving into X-Men stories as a starting place.
What The X-Men’s Delayed Arrival Could Mean For Secret Wars
A New X-Men Team Will Not Likely Appear In Avengers 6
Feige’s comments on “starting again” suggest that the introduction of the X-Men will not play a meaningful role in the Multiverse Saga.Mutants are a starting point for a saga, not an ending point.There are many already existing characters and threads that remain to be explored in the upcoming films. This will likely mean that the introduction of a mutant team, and the use of those characters inAvengers: Secret Wars, is very unlikely to happen.
What is likely, however, is that more characters from Fox’s universe may appear in the MCU in the meanwhile. With Beast already set up, and connections to the Fox universe throughDeadpool & Wolverine,it would be reasonable to see characters from those FoxX-Menfilms sharing the screen with the iconic MCU heroes inSecret Wars.Following the conclusion ofSecret Wars, the franchise will be at a good place to reboot with stories about mutants and the X-Men in a transformed world where those stories would make sense and becloser to theX-Mencomics.
I Know The Best Way To Kick Off The MCU’s Mutant Saga After Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine’s huge success has me thinking that reviving Fox’s canceled movie plans could be the best way forward for the MCU’s Mutant Saga.
With the popularity of the X-Men,it does feel a bit surprising that Marvel has not used these characters in more meaningful ways since the acquisition of Fox.However, looking deeper, it seems that there are story reasons why they have held off on this. The future of the X-Men appears to be incredibly important to theMarvel Cinematic Universe, and it is imperative that they tell these stories the right way. The X-Men will come to the MCU as soon as it makes sense for them to do so, which may still be a couple of years away.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
