If there’s anything that fans would call a “long time coming,” it’s the arrival of mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Nearly everyone thought WandaVision would take care of that introduction, but after the plot of Marvel’s first Disney+ outing went in a totally different direction, fans who were expecting to see an X-Men or two were left scratching their heads.
Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige has made it clear that mutants will make their way into the MCU as soon as he can fit them in naturally, but of course, fans are still on the edge of their seats looking for the first signs of the X-Men in every Phase 4 release thus far.
Kevin Feige has been the Chief Creative Officer over all things Marvel for a couple of years now, overseeing anything that gets published whether it be a movie or a comic book. And if there’s one place that the X-Men are still alive and well, it’s on the pages of Marvel Comics.
Oddly enough, the Marvel boss has apparently spent some time scoping out a variety of mutants, and not in the way that you think.
MARVEL’S KEVIN FEIGE CHATS IT UP WITH X-MEN'S CYCLOPS
First shared by Reddit’s u/clean_sprite, Marvel CCO Kevin Feige was spotted on the pages of Jonathan Hickman’s "X-Men #21" that’s due to drop on June 9.
Feige is shown having a conversation with none other than Scott Summers aka Cyclops of the X-Men at the Krakoan Hellfire Gala. Feige holds a drink and asks Summers, “what’s your story?” Cyclops responds by saying "it's complicated."
Kevin Feige’s comic book cameo can be seen in the panel below:
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MCU'S MUTANTS?
Is Kevin Feige recruiting mutants straight from the pages of the current Marvel comics? If so, then who better to start with than longtime X-Men leader Scott Summers?
To better explain the importance of this specific comic event, Summers is attending the Krakoan Hellfire Gala, a prestigious event where heroes and villains alike are welcome on the shores of Krakoa. The purpose is for all mutants to set aside their old differences to make way for a new civilization.
This gala will show the mutant race coming forward from their hiding and revealing their intentions to representatives of various intelligence agencies and the world's governments. The story is being told over twelve issues from several series throughout June 2021.
Meanwhile, movie fans are more than eager for literally any mutant-related story to be told in MCU fashion, so surely Feige and Marvel Comics are well aware of the implications that his inclusion in this comic series has for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Nothing more than this single panel from the unreleased issue was shared, but Feige inquiring about Cyclops’ background is a terrific tease that the Marvel boss is currently “recruiting” different X-Men characters to begin incorporating them into his MCU storytelling.
Cyclops’ response that his backstory is “complicated” while grinning back at Feige could imply that Summers is willing to share what he has to offer with the head of the MCU. This could also be teasing the complicated history of Scott Summers on the silver screen, having appeared in half a dozen past installments of Fox's X-Men films with his story becoming messier and messier through each of those films.
This meeting between Feige and Summers definitely seems to be teasing fans that the Marvel boss is doing his research to bring a full, unique take on the X-Men to the MCU. If Kevin Feige wants to find a decent lot of mutants to choose from, the Hellfire Gala will surely showcase the best and brightest that Marvel Comics has to offer.
