Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga has left a lot to be desired. There's still time for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars to right the ship, but no one will call this era the MCU's best. The Mutant Saga offers everyone a fresh start. And the powers that be at Marvel Studios aren't taking any chances, if a new report is to be believed, which reveals the three X-Men teams they're going to be giving the most attention to moving forward.
Of course, the cream of the mutant team crop has already been decided. An X-Men movie from Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier is deep into production, focusing on rounding out its impressive cast full of up-and-coming actors. Professor X's students will help usher in a new era for the MCU. But they can't carry the franchise's full weight, so it's good to hear that help might be on the way.
According to insider DanielRPK, Marvel Studios is discussing movies focused on two other mutant teams: X-Force and Alpha Flight. It sounds like it's too early to nail down anything concrete about their creative teams or stars. Still, the fact that they're potentially on the table is proof enough that Kevin Feige and Co. want the Mutant Saga to live up to its name and subvert expectations.
X-Force's place in the MCU isn't difficult to project. In Fox's universe, Deadpool founded a team by the same name when he needed help with a difficult mission in his second solo movie. While nearly the entire group died in horrible fashion, Domino and Cable helped the titular mercenary save the world. With Deadpool now a real part of the MCU, he might bring the band back together and add a couple of new friends.
Despite their differences, Wade Wilson and Logan saved the multiverse together in Deadpool & Wolverine. Hugh Jackman's X-Man decided to stick around in Deadpool's world with X-23 and try the whole family thing on for size. The three of them could be the founding members of a new X-Force that doesn't have to scrape the bottom of the mutant barrel.
While Jackman's hero is off doing covert missions with X-Force, a new version can cut his teeth with Alpha Flight, the Canadian superhero team. In the comics, Alpha Flight isn't a strictly mutant team. However, a couple of its core members, including the twins Northstar and Aurora, have the X-Gene. Wolverine also spent some time working with Department H, which backs the group.
Alpha Flight has the potential to be a Guardians of the Galaxy-like hit for Marvel Studios. Instead of focusing on household names, the movie can mold lesser-known characters into something worthy of the big screen. And tossing the MCU's new version of Wolverine into the mix certainly won't hurt its chances of succeeding.
With three prominent mutant teams, the Mutant Saga is set up to avoid its predecessor's mistakes. In fact, it could take the MCU to a place it's never been before.
The Mutant Saga Can Build to a Unique X-Men Event
The MCU has always been defined by its team-up events. 2012's The Avengers pulled off something nobody ever dreamed possible: bringing characters from multiple franchises together in one movie. Marvel Studios only upped the ante after that, turning its Avengers movies into a who's who of the MCU, with almost nobody missing out on the action.
But Earth's Mightiest Heroes are always the center of attention. And that won't change in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Once that two-part story comes and goes, though, the guard can change.
If three X-Men teams are running around at the same time, Marvel Studios might have no choice but to bring them all together for an all-mutant event. The comic books are full of X-Men stories worthy of adapting on the big screen, whether it's "House of M" or "Age of Apocalypse."
Putting a project of that caliber on the docket would almost guarantee fans become invested in the various mutant stories. Maybe there's a bit of X-Men fatigue coming out of the gate because of the baggage Fox's franchise left behind. However, once the mutant ball really gets rolling and everyone recognizes Marvel Studios is really trying to put its own stamp on Cyclops and Co., the sky is the limit.
There's even a scenario where Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and his successor share the screen. It's difficult to think of a better way to pass the torch than by having Jackman give his blessing to the next generation before riding off into the cinematic sunset.
