The X-Men have been in the Marvel universe since 1963 when they were first published by the comic legends, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the Marvel Comics issue, The X-Men #1. They are a group of individuals who are born with the genetic trait called X-gene that grants them superhuman abilities. It is because of this natural genetic mutation that they are often found shunned and prejudiced in society which leads to a powerful telepath, Charles Xavier, founding a school and a base of operations for the differently superable calling it the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
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The X-Men in Marvel Cinematic Universe vs FoxVerse
The team of superheroes is often seen fighting threats that are defined by hatred and driven by prejudice. Often, they simply become pawns to be used for the advancement of powerful organizations and military experiments (Wolverine and Deadpool are prime examples). Foxverse explores these themes and the individuals with more free rein given their contractual power hold over the comic characters.
However, 20th Century Fox maintains the contract still, and Marvel Studios have only been able to borrow a character or two for cameos from the former — Professor Xavier for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Quicksilver for WandaVision. Both the actors have held the title of their respective superheroes from the original Foxverse timeline/universe and hence were not part of the Marvel universe at the time of their appearance in the MCU.
When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, on the other hand, there has been a soft launching of the theme of mutants only recently. The Phase 4 Disney+ series Ms. Marvel gained notoriety after the finale declared a major change in the lead Kamala Khan’s lineage by making her the first official mutant of the Marvel universe. So far, only she remains the torchbearer for the genetically gifted, and no further news as to the introduction of mutants in MCU has been hinted at by the studio.
The Invocation of the X-Men In The MCU
Given the alteration of Ms. Marvel’s origin within the MCU, the fandom had all but welcomed the mutants into their parent universe with open arms. But the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con Hall H Panel said otherwise. With not a whisper of X-Men projects in the making by Marvel Studios, fans were left disappointed yet again by the lack of original mutant storylines in the vast future plans revealed by Kevin Feige. However, he did snidely remark when asked if he wanted to wait till Phase X to introduce the X-Men into MCU saying that’s way too long to wait.
But journalist Devin Faraci contributes to the causal issue of the lack of X-Men movies incorporated into the Marvel narrative.
“Despite the introduction of mutants at the end of Ms. Marvel, there’s no mutants in Phase 5. I know why. I know why there’s no mutants. I know why this is going to take a while. There might be individual mutants, there might be other characters that show a certain interest. The reason why is the contractual situation with the original Fox stuff is going to be in effect until 2025. So, if they don’t want to use those actors, then they have to wait until that contract all expires.
If they’re going to have stuff hitting in 2025 at the end of the contract, then they’ll announce it. But I think they actually can’t go into production until the contract’s up. So it’s not even a release – it’s the same thing with Superman. So they’re going to be Phase 7. So you’re not going to see mutants until Phase 7. There are going to be mutants that will show up after the Multiverse Saga is over.”
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It makes sense then that fans will have to wait until 2025 to see Marvel Studios start to make their own renditions of the X-Men franchise or introduce new characters into the fray. But until then, the Studio can only make transitory cameos and only use the original actors from the Foxverse universe until their contract with 20th Century Fox expires.
Source: The Direct
