The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a lot riding on the X-Men. With the Avengers only just now getting their butts into gear after going their separate ways in Avengers: Endgame and the Fantastic Four yet to make an impact, there’s room for mutants to dominate the upcoming phases. However, Marvel Studios must avoid some of the pitfalls that Fox dealt with during its tenure. One way to do that is to put together a crack filmmaking team, and fortunately, the ball is already rolling in that regard. Hot off of Thunderbolts*, director Jake Schreier is in talks to helm Marvel Studios’ X-Men movie with a script from Michael Lesslie.
The project is still in its early days, meaning it’s probably going to be a couple of years before Charles Xavier’s students return to the big screen. But it’s never too early to speculate, especially when it comes to the characters that will lead Schreier’s iteration of the X-Men.
Schreier is likely to have plenty of familiar faces in his roster, but he’s also going to need heroes with a dark past to help him recapture the magic of Thunderbolts*. Illyana Rasputina, aka Magik, certainly fits into the category, being stuck in Limbo for a number of years before returning to Earth and joining various mutant teams. Magik shows what she can do in Fox’s New Mutants, and the MCU would be smart to give her another shot on an even bigger stage.
While Rogue gets plenty of screentime in Fox’s X-Men movies, she never reaches her full potential. A former criminal who struggles with her abilities that hurt anyone she touches, Schreier can really focus on the sadness within the character. It also doesn’t hurt that Captain Marvel is running around the MCU, opening the door for Rogue to grab the powers that make her a force in X-Men ’97.
Yes, Channing Tatum’s Gambit is already set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but there isn’t an X-Men that embodies the spirit of the Thunderbolts more than the Ragin’ Cajun. He’s far more than the comedic character that Deadpool & Wolverine makes him out to be, and there’s no one more qualified than Schreier to make that clear. It’s just going to take finding the right actor to bring Schreier and Co.’s vision to life.
It’s easy to forget that Warpath shows up in X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is why there’s no reason to disqualify him for the MCU’s reboot. The character starts out hating the X-Men in the comics because he blames the team for the death of his brother, but he soon learns the truth and joins their ranks. His durability is some of the best in Marvel Comics, and if he made the jump to the MCU, he’d put the franchise’s super-soldiers on notice.
Another mutant in need of a second live-action appearance is Domino. Deadpool 2 focuses on the ridiculous nature of the character’s luck-based powers, but she’s also an excellent shot and can hold her own with the best hand-to-hand fighters in the Marvel Universe. Putting her in the MCU’s X-Men lineup will give the team the same edge that Black Widow brings to the Avengers.
[RELATED – 10 Marvel Heroes That Could Have Beaten Sentry in Thunderbolts*]
Like Rogue, Pyro appears in his fair share of Fox X-Men movies. Unfortunately, the movies fail to do the character justice, making him little more than a rival for Iceman who always takes things too far. Schreier is great at bringing nuance to bad guys, and Pyro will need his fair share, especially if the MCU has him follow in his Fox counterpart’s footsteps and join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
No X-Men lineup is complete without some version of Wolverine. Laura Kinney has been a member of the team on numerous occasions, and bringing her into the fold will help the MCU differentiate itself from what’s come before. She can always leave when it’s time for her to get her own solo project, but having X-23 from the start will ensure the X-Men have credibility.
Psylocke is another mutant in need of a major revamp because of the Fox franchise. She appears in X-Men: Apocalypse as one of the titular villain’s four horsemen, but she fails to make much of an impact. The MCU can make things right by focusing on her mind-bending abilities, which include creating her iconic psi-blades.
Jean Grey holds a terrifying power within her that’s difficult to control. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same situation Sentry finds himself dealing with in Thunderbolts*. Fox failed to adapt the “Dark Phoenix” storyline on two occasions, but with Schreier in command, the seeds will be planted early, ensuring they grow by the time Jean is ready to let loose.
While it doesn’t make sense for Wolverine and X-23 to both be on the X-Men, having a new version of Weapon X at least appear in the movie is a smart move. That way, Schreier can get his hands on Marvel’s ultimate anti-hero and set the stage for his MCU future.
Would you like to see these X-Men characters in Jake Schreier’s movie? Who else would you put on the list? Let us know in the comments below!
Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier is ready to bring the X-Men back to the big screen, and these characters should come with him. Read More