Marvel Studios is moving full steam ahead with its X-Men reboot. After landing The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes writer Michael Lesslie to pen the script, Kevin Feige and Co. turned their attention to the director’s chair, nabbing a proven commodity, Thunderbolts‘ Jake Schreier. The project is still in its infancy, with no details available about characters or the story the movie will try to adapt. However, it doesn’t take big casting announcements or set photos to know that the X-Men are gearing up to become the new faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They will likely step into the role the Avengers currently hold, which may lead to some tension.
Phase 6 of the MCU is sure to focus on Doctor Doom and the conflict between the two Avengers teams. It will all come to a head in Avengers: Secret Wars, where really anything is on the table. Once the dust settles, though, Phase 7 will need fresh material to focus on, and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes coming to blows with mutants fits the bill.
It’s no secret that the Avengers and X-Men deal with different issues in Marvel Comics. While Captain America and Co. receive love from the public, mutants never get the benefit of the doubt. It leads to quite a bit of resentment, and things boil over during events like 2012’s “Avengers vs. X-Men.” During the crossover, the Phoenix Force is looking for a new host, and the X-Men are all about it. Hope Summers receives the honor, but the Avengers try to kibosh the plan because they think the power is too dangerous. An all-out brawl breaks out that proves the two groups will never see eye-to-eye.
Marvel Studios keeps the groups at odds years later in X-Men ’97. After the attack on Genosha, Rogue seeks revenge against Henry Gyrich and runs into Captain America, who’s also looking for the government official. Like usual, Cap wants to do things by the book, but Rogue believes the ruthlessness of humans means the gloves should come off. While they don’t fight, their disagreement makes it clear that, despite being under the same umbrella, the X-Men and Avengers might not be on the same page when they meet up in live-action.
Once Schreier’s movie lands in theaters, the pressure will be on to have his team face off against the New Avengers or even Sam Wilson’s team of heroes. However, jumping into that conflict too quickly could have massive consequences, especially if the X-Men don’t have time to find their footing.
Once Secret Wars is over, the clock will start ticking on the next MCU event. But the only way to go bigger than Marvel’s biggest story ever is to have its two most iconic teams duke it out. That could happen in Phase 7, with the X-Men movie potentially kicking off the new era and the crossover film wrapping things up. The issue with that scenario is that it runs the risk of putting the MCU in the same situation it finds itself now, rushing through things to ensure the pieces are in place for an epic adventure. If the MCU really wants to make Avengers vs. X-Men great, it should take the time to introduce as many interesting mutants as possible.
The easiest way to get that done is by releasing the X-Men movie, as well as some solo movies and TV shows. Dozens of mutants have what it takes to lead their own projects, including Wolverine, Gambit, Magneto, and Nightcrawler, and if they can shine outside of the mainstream projects, they will be fleshed out when the crossover event rolls around. Marvel Studios has to be careful because too much of a good thing can cause problems, but it’s still a better attack plan than just throwing the mutants to the wolves.
Do you want to see the X-Men fight the Avengers in the MCU Phase 7? How do you think Marvel Studios could build to the event? Let us know in the comments below!
After Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU will need to find a way to create a bigger event, and Avengers vs. X-Men fits the bill. Read More