The public was waiting for the X-Men to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Fox was acquired by Disney in 2019, and new details from Kevin Feige provide much-needed information about when that event will finally take place. Fox has done a lot of work on the popular mutant IP over the years, crafting the best and worst of X-Men over 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 expected to happen soon.
The X-Men became especially important to comics in the mid-1970s, when Chris Claremont reinvigorated the classic Marvel property with new life for a new time. This type of storytelling was pervasive in X-Men ’97, with many calling the series one of the best iterations of the heroes yet. Going that route, using colorful costumes and some of the X-Men’s best characters, seems like the way forward in the MCU. New details finally give audiences an idea of what to expect and when it will likely occur.
Mutants are already in the MCU (but there’s no real plan yet)
Several Marvel characters have been confirmed as mutants
Since Marvel regained the rights to the X-Men, they’ve made some interesting choices about what to do with that access. After a Quicksilver counterfeit in WandaVision, they confirmed that Ms. Marvel was a mutant, playing off the original X-Men theme with the reveal. They also introduced Namor, the first mutant, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A few other mutants exist in the MCU, especially since characters from the Fox X-Men universe have made their way into the MCU films through travel across the multiverse. This saw Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Most recently, Beast appeared in the post-credits scene of The wondersthen Deadpool and Wolverine I saw the titular heroes joining the franchise in an unclear way. None of these inclusions or their stories have been revealed as to how they play into the broader MCU timeline. Where Beast will appear next seems inconclusive, especially with Marvel’s recent post-credits tendency to not keep up with teases, and the future of Deadpool and Wolverine appears to have no concrete plans despite the rumors.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be a grand finale for the current iteration of the MCU
Talking to ComicBook.comKevin Feige said that “This time, going into Secret Wars, we already know very well what the story will be like until then and beyond. The X-Men are an important part of that future.” This suggests that the appearance of mutants and the X-Men will only occur after the Multiverse Saga. It has been rumored for some time that the franchise would move into the Mutant Saga, with a complete reboot of the MCU universe, following the end of Secret Warsand this seems to confirm it.
Comparing the State of the MCU to What It Was Avengers: Endgame, Feige said “We had to start all over again after that.” Many believe the MCU will be rebooted after Avengers 6 in the same way that past “Secret Wars” comics were used to do this. While much of the MCU still works, exploring social themes of mutant conflict wouldn’t fit into the universe as it is. Giving the franchise a soft reboot, in a new universe where mutants existed, it would make sense to move on to the X-Men stories as a starting point.
What the X-Men’s Delayed Arrival Could Mean for Secret Wars
A new X-Men team likely won’t appear in Avengers 6
Feige’s comments about “starting over” suggest that the introduction of the X-Men will not play a significant role in the Multiverse Saga. Mutants are the starting point of a saga, not the end point. There are many existing characters and topics that still need to be explored in the upcoming films. This will likely mean that the introduction of a mutant team and the use of those characters in Avengers: Secret Warsit is very unlikely to happen.
What is likely, however, is that more characters from the Fox universe could appear in the MCU in the meantime. With the Beast already configured and connections to the Fox universe through Deadpool and Wolverine, it would be reasonable to see characters from those Fox X-Men films sharing the screen with the MCU’s iconic heroes in Secret Wars. After completion of Secret Warsthe franchise will be in a good place to reboot with stories about mutants and the X-Men in a transformed world where those stories would make sense and be closer to the X-Men comics.
With the popularity of the X-Men, It’s a little surprising that Marvel hasn’t used these characters in more meaningful ways since the Fox acquisition. However, looking deeper, it appears there are historical reasons why they delayed this. The future of the X-Men appears to be extremely important to the Marvel Cinematic Universeand it is essential that they tell these stories in the right way. The X-Men will arrive in the MCU as soon as it makes sense for them, which could still be a few years away.