The X-Men vs. The Avengers is probably on the way UCMand Marvel Studios has just taken the first step in that direction with the launch of And if…? season 3 trailer. Now that the X-Men have returned to Marvel ownership after Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the iconic X-Men have begun appearing in several MCU projects. This culminated more recently in Deadpool and Wolverinewhere the titular heroes encountered various X-Men variants from Fox’s X-Men franchise.
So far, this is the only X-Men-focused film the MCU has produced, and there are no more on the official MCU release slate. Recent comments from Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, however, have reignited hope that the next phase of the MCU will focus on the X-Men, who will likely be recast from the original films, following rumors of an MCU soft reboot. Deadpool and Wolverine was virtually devoid of any Avengers characters (apart from “Adjacent to the Avengers“Happy Hogan) – but an upcoming project is about to bring the MCU closer than ever to an anticipated showdown between the two teams.
The story of X-Men vs Avengers
The Avengers and X-Men have a long and tumultuous history in Marvel Comics
The Avengers and X-Men have fought several times throughout Marvel Comics. This first occurred in 1964 Strange X-Men #9where the two clashed after a misunderstanding with Lucifer at the center. Several other crossovers would see the two clash over several decades, including a war that lasted four issues in 1987. X-Men vs. The Avengers and culminating in Avengers vs. X-Men in 2012, which focuses on the Phoenix Force and its new host, Hope Summers.
Meanwhile, tensions between the two teams prevail throughout Marvel Comics. M’s Housefor example, it sees the two navigating what to do with Scarlet Witch and the dangers she poses, as she is a mutant who is most often aligned with the Avengers alongside her brother, Quicksilver. The two groups have also teamed up on several occasions against larger threats.including against the supernatural god Knull in King in Black comics.
And if…? The first real X-Men/Avengers crossover in the MCU debuts
What if….? Season 3 trailer shows one of the most popular X-Men wielding Mjolnir
The newest trailer for And if…? season 3 depicts a scene with Storm, making it the next project to feature the X-Men in a mainline MCU production. Although the details of the story And if…? and this particular episode remains to be seen, one important detail shows that this could be the first time the X-Men and Avengers finally meet in the MCU. Namely, X-Men’s Storm can be seen wielding Mjolnir and declaring herself the “Goddess of Thunder“ at the end of the trailer.
Until now, the X-Men have been limited to separate universes in the MCU – especially Earth-10005, where Fox’s X-Men universe is based. Yet to take Thor’s place in And if…? presumably will mean that Storm will at some point interact with the main MCU charactersand Thor in particular. With Storm also showing off her powers in the trailer, she could even take on the Avengers – making And if…? the first MCU production to finally adapt this iconic Marvel Comics trope.
We really need the mutant saga to make Avengers x X-Men
The Avengers vs. The X-Men story promises to be attractive and profitable
Although it’s not yet confirmed, the Mutant Saga will follow the Multiverse Saga – and, at the very least, highlight the MCUs’ X-Men as its main characters, according to Feige. Meanwhile, it remains unlikely that Marvel Studios will retire its Avengers characters simply because they took precedence in its first two sagas. Instead of, these groups will probably inhabit the same universe after the destruction caused in Avengers: Secret Wars Will possibly merge the X-Men into the MCU’s Earth-616 forever. Not taking advantage of this opportunity with an Avengers vs. X-Men, then, would be disconcerting.
Story-wise, Captain America: Civil War proved how painfully compelling it can be to pit hero against hero in an MCU film, and Avengers Vs. X-Men is filled with the moral conundrums that typify the MCU.
One big thing the MCU’s history has proven is that the set films with multiple MCU characters are the most profitablewhich constitutes a solid financial argument in favor of this specific adaptation. In terms of history, Captain America: Civil War proved how painfully convincing it can be to pit hero against hero in an MCU film, and Avengers Vs. X-Men is filled with the moral conundrums that typify the MCU. Finally, it would be a fitting celebration of UCMthe ownership of so many iconic characters to face them in a cataclysmic brawl.