The prevailing theory is that Avengers: Doomsday will whittle down its mutant roster before the credits roll. Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and Gambit could all be on the chopping block as Doctor Doom begins his assault on the multiverse. But Doomsday is likely the last time for a while that Marvel Studios wants to get rid of mutants, not add them. After all, the Mutant Saga is on the horizon, which is why it's strange that a handful of established MCU heroes with the X-gene haven't found a chair for Phase 7 yet.
Marvel Studios has given the Mutant Saga instant credibility by greenlighting an X-Men movie from Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier, who has been hard at work assembling his team. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Angel, Iceman, Storm, and Professor X are all set to fight the good fight in the 2028 film. And they'll be opposed by a couple of notable X-Men villains: Emma Frost and Mister Sinister.
But all the mutant goodness X-Men can deliver makes it easy to forget that the MCU already had a few heroes under that umbrella. When they were all introduced, it felt like they were destined for big things in Phase 7 and beyond. However, the franchise's landscape has changed, and it could leave them all sitting on the bench for the foreseeable future.
Established MCU Mutants Who Don't Have a Role in Marvel Studios' Phase 7
Ms. Marvel
Like so many other superheroes, Kamala Khan discovered her powers by accident, unlocking them after she put on her grandmother's bangle. In Ms. Marvel, she used her newfound abilities to battle the Clandestines, a group of villains from another reality. While Kamala originally thought her Clandestine heritage caused her upgrade, her friend Bruno discovered a "mutation" in her blood that changed her perspective.
Kamala's mutant status wasn't mentioned in her next MCU appearance, The Marvels. But that wasn't the place to do it. Marvel Studios could've had her join the X-Men, like her comic book counterpart, who's also a mutant. Instead, it's left her in a holding pattern, waiting to see whether she'll be an important part of the Mutant Saga.
Mr. Immortal
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law touched on how superpowers could get people into legal trouble. Craig Hollis, better known as Mr. Immortal because he can't die, faked his death many times to get out of relationships, and his former partners decided they were going to come after his money. Hollis sought legal advice from a couple of lawyers at Jennifer Walters' firm and then disappeared from the MCU entirely.
Marvel Studios probably didn't think much of introducing Mr. Immortal, a little-known mutant from Marvel Comics. But since his comic counterpart is a member of the Great Lake Avengers, it's a shame that he's being pushed to the side in live-action.
Namor
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced the king of the underwater kingdom, Talokan: Namor, who can breathe underwater and on land thanks to his mutation. His other powers, including flight and superhuman strength, made him a unique challenge for Shuri, the Black Panther. Her mind helped end the conflict between Wakanda and Talokan, but she showed Namor mercy and let him live.
Namor will return in Avengers: Doomsday. And while it remains to be seen whether he's a friend or foe, he's going to make his presence felt as only he can. But it's hard to put any stock in him for the future because he wasn't announced as part of the Black Panther 3 cast. Either he doesn't make it out of the next two Avengers movies alive, or the new mutants are forcing him to the back of the line.
Deadpool
Wade Wilson isn't classified as a mutant in the comic books. However, Fox made him a mutant when his big-screen franchise kicked off, and Marvel Studios hasn't retconned the choice. Of course, the Merc With a Mouth made his MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine, where he discovered his real purpose in life.
Despite the 2024 movie making all the money, a sequel to Deadpool & Wolverine still hasn't found its way onto the Mutant Saga slate. That could change any day now, but as it stands, Phase 7 won't feature any chimichangas.
Wolverine
Deadpool didn't save the multiverse on his own. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine was right by his side, ready to make up for past mistakes. At the end of Deadpool & Wolverine, Logan decided to stick around and be part of Deadpool's family, setting up future stories.
Plenty of rumors place both Deadpool and Wolverine at the scene of Doctor Doom's crimes in Doomsday. However, that movie doesn't take place during the Mutant Saga, an era that owes everything to the veteran heroes.
