Marvel Studios finally has the opportunity to bring the X-Men into the MCU alongside the Avengers, but a recent quote suggests that their arrival may be some time away.
Following Disney's massive purchase of 20th Century Fox, MCU fans have wondered when the franchise will introduce the widely-popular mutants that have been kept separate from Marvel Studios' narrative. Even though excitement is certainly building to see the animated take on the team revived in next year's X-Men '97 on Disney+, the real blockbuster moment will come with their inclusion in live-action adventures.
2022 has already given fans two different MCU mutants in Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan from Ms. Marvel, which is just the start for the MCU.
But the real question is when Marvel Studios' versions of the bigger names like Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and more will make their way into the fray. Unfortunately, according to one of the MCU's top producers, that day may still be some time away as Marvel Studios continues building its expansive universe.
Marvel Producer Sets Expectations for X-Men Arrival
During an interview with Screen Rant, Marvel Studios Vice President Nate Moore discussed when the MCU may start including its own version of the X-Men.
When asked about the chances of Storm appearing in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, he noted that this character's "relationship with Wakanda in publishing is pretty interesting."
But in the end, he noted that Marvel Studios "might be a few years out from the X-Men" before teasing other Wakanda-based characters that could be introduced later, particularly from Ta-Nehisi Coates' work in the comics:
"Well, Storm's relationship with Wakanda in publishing is pretty interesting. Obviously, we might be a few years out from the X-Men, so I'm not sure we're there yet. Who else from Wakanda have we not introduced? I mean, there's a pretty deep bench, actually. And especially, I think, Ta-Nehisi's run introduced a lot of key characters that would be fun to export. Even characters like Vibraxas, which are more Fantastic Four characters. But yeah, it's a pretty deep bench. I think there's a lot more stories to tell on Wakanda for sure."
When Will the MCU Bring the X-Men?
As has been the case in numerous past interviews, it appears that the MCU is still some time away from actually delivering a story focused on the mutants as a group. This is likely due to the report that Marvel Studios would have to bring back the old Fox actors in any project before 2025, which led to Patrick Stewart's return as Professor X in Doctor Strange 2, although these characters will be used in some form sooner than that.
The team just got their first official mention by name in the Season 1 finale of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but it will still be a couple more years until any X-Men are featured as starring MCU heroes.
Late 2024 will finally bring Deadpool into the MCU with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 3, which even includes Hugh Jackman as he goes on one final ride as Wolverine alongside the Merc with a Mouth. But in terms of a movie with "X-Men" in the title, Marvel is more likely to wait until it can bring the Earth-616 characters that will carry the mantle for years to come after the Multiverse Saga.
Rumors have pointed to the MCU being in early development on a movie called The Mutants, but nothing official is confirmed yet with still so much to develop before Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters in 2026. But when that day comes, these powerful heroes will get their time in the spotlight as the MCU finally gets to have the mutants, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and more under one roof.
The MCU's first mutant-centric movie, Deadpool 3, will debut in theaters on November 8, 2024.
