Marvel Studios isn't taking a page out of Fox's book with its X-Men movie, teasing a change to Cyclops' origin that could have major ramifications for the MCU. There's no arguing who the X-Men's greatest villain is. Magneto currently holds the title and likely will until the day Marvel Comics stops publishing books. However, being the best doesn't mean someone always gets to be first in line.
Kevin Feige and Co. realize that Magneto has been done to death on the big screen. And while his time in the MCU (not counting an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday) is sure to come, he's going to have to wait because the first X-Men villain out of the gate will be none other than Mister Sinister.
Adam Driver sent a video message to D23 announcing that he's gearing up to play Dr. Nathaniel Milbury, an alias Sinister uses in Marvel Comics, in Marvel Studios' X-Men. Milbury's gimmick is posing as an unassuming headmaster at a school for wayward children. Behind the scenes, though, he's experimenting on mutants and using their incredible powers for his own gain.
By exploiting mutants, Sinister puts himself on Charles Xavier's radar, frequently leading to conflicts with the X-Men. But the Milbury persona has an inside edge because he got his hands on Cyclops before Professor X did. Before finding a permanent home at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Scott Summers and his brother, Alex, found themselves at Sinister's mercy after ending up in foster care.
Sinister worked his magic on Scott and realized that he could be the key to creating the perfect mutant. Later, the villain created a Jean Grey clone, Madelyne Pryor, and sent her to infiltrate the X-Mansion. She did her job and tricked Cyclops, leading to the birth of Nathaniel Summers, aka Cable.
The Milbury storyline was a lot for Marvel Comics to juggle. And it would be a challenge for Marvel Studios to bring it to life, given all the moving pieces. However, if it pulls it off, it would achieve something no other X-Men film has even tried to accomplish.
Changing Cyclops' Origin Would Give The Hero His First Personal Villain
Cyclops' origin has played out a few different ways on the big screen. In 2000's X-Men, he was already a member of the team when Wolverine and Rogue rolled into town. He spent the next two movies playing second fiddle to Logan, rarely talking about his past. X-Men Origins: Wolverine explored Scott's time as a terrified teenager, only to turn around and force him into the background as the titular hero worked out his issues with Weapon X.
X-Men: Apocalypse gave Cyclops a clean slate. At the beginning of the movie, he headed to Xavier's School at the behest of his brother, Alex, who was one of the professor's first students. The movie briefly touched on his backstory, but the significant time jump in Dark Phoenix made it far less relevant to the franchise overall.
In short, Cyclops has gotten the short end of the stick in live-action, not only as a person but also as a hero. Marvel Studios can set things right in a few easy steps.
For starters, X-Men can't begin with Scott, played by Kit Connor, already under Professor X's wing. Having him under Driver's villain's roof initially ensures that all the horrible things that happen to him aren't glossed over. From there, Professor X's current students, potentially Jean Grey, who made her MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, can stage a breakout, liberating the captive mutants and taking them somewhere they can thrive.
The movie's second act can then focus on Scott getting acclimated to his new surroundings and meeting his teammates. Rogue and Storm are two of the mutants he'll cross paths with, and they both know a thing or two about hard upbringings. Spending time with them will get Scott to open up and learn more about himself as a hero.
All that will set the stage for an epic third act, where Cyclops faces off against a villain who did him harm and plans to do just as much, if not more, to people he cares about. By taking the lead in the battle against Sinister, Cyclops can finally step into a role that he's struggled to hold onto for over two decades: leader of the X-Men.
Fox never gave Scott personal stakes in his battles. Sure, he would fight to protect Jean or another friend. But he never had any skin in the game against the person or entity he was fighting. Cyclops didn't even live long enough in X-Men: The Last Stand to fight Jean. And Dark Phoenix was more about the alien threat than anything else.
That trend can't continue as Marvel Studios kicks off the Mutant Saga. Cyclops is, after all, one of the brand's most important mutants. It needs to start treating him like one, and it can start by making a small origin change that will make a world of difference.
