All the speculation surrounding the lineup for Disney's X-Men reboot is over, with Rogue securing a spot that makes up for one of 20th Century Fox's biggest transgressions. The internet had its heart set on Cailee Spaeny taking the stage at D23 and announcing to the world that she's playing Anna Marie in Jake Schreier's upcoming X-Men movie. Marvel Studios threw a curveball by bringing out Inde Navarrette, who had publicly announced her interest in playing Mystique.
Navarrette has all the talent in the world, showing her range in the recent smash-hit horror film Obsession, where she played a woman who got taken over by a dark spirit that forced her to act out of character. Rogue, a mutant who hurts anyone she touches, knows a thing or two about not being able to be true to herself. Fox's first X-Men put her center stage because the powers that be saw something special not only in her mutant abilities but also in her character.
Anna Paquin delivered three standout performances in the original X-Men trilogy, which culminated in the moment when her character finally got to embrace her boyfriend, Bobby Drake, after taking the mutant cure. That easily could've been all she wrote for Rogue. However, X-Men: Days of Future Past presented an opportunity to make her crucial to the survival of mutantkind once again.
Fox initially envisioned a version of Days of Future Past where Magneto and Iceman broke into the X-Mansion to save Rogue from the Sentinels, which were experimenting on her, in order to relieve Kitty Pryde of her time travel duties. Paquin suited up once again, and the scenes were shot. They didn't make the theatrical cut, though, being removed because of pacing concerns.
Rogue still made a brief cameo at the end of Days of Future Past once the timeline was put right. And her cut scenes were restored in X-Men: Days of Future Past (The Rogue Cut). But the damage was done, as Fox made it clear that it didn't consider Rogue one of the core X-Men. The studio couldn't even find her a place after the franchise underwent a soft reboot.
The one silver lining for Rogue is that all the mistakes Fox made, including her benching, opened the door for Disney to step in and get the rights back to Marvel Studios. As a resident of the MCU, Rogue is unlikely to run into as many roadblocks. And if she does, she's probably going to smash through them with ease.
The Sky Is The Limit For Rogue In The MCU
Marvel Studios made the bold decision to kick off its mutant saga in earnest in a Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is already one of the most successful movies of all time, introduced Jean Grey to the MCU. Sadie Sink's character used her telepathic powers to take control of the Hulk and Punisher, which never would have been possible under Fox's umbrella.
Rogue can benefit just as much as her future teammate. In the comics, she picked a fight with the Avengers before linking up with Charles Xavier and Co. and absorbed Carol Danvers' powers. The theft made Rogue as powerful as any other mutant. X-Men: The Animated Series followed in the source material's footsteps and turned Rogue into a powerhouse, an upgrade that's still relevant to this day due to the revival series X-Men '97.
Of course, Fox didn't have access to Captain Marvel when it made its X-Men movies. And instead of finding an alternative, it decided it would be better to have Rogue fade into the background. Marvel Studios doesn't have to make the same choice.
At some point in the future, whether it's in an X-Men movie or another Marvel Studios production, Navarrette and Brie Larson can share the screen and bring that iconic comic book moment to life. Captain Marvel probably won't be happy about taking the hit. However, she can rest easy knowing she's giving Rogue the boost she's always needed on the big screen.
That way, whenever it comes time for the X-Men to face off against the likes of Magneto or Apocalypse, Rogue won't have to force her friends to do all the heavy lifting. She can get in on the action as well and even hold her own.
And Rogue securing her spot as an enforcer might open other doors for her as well. X-Men '97 has done a masterful job fleshing out her relationship with Gambit, another fan-favorite. Their dynamic is as good as any in the Marvel Universe, mostly because they both operate in the morally gray area.
Kevin Feige and Co. would be wise to have them play cards in live-action and ensure that Scott Summers and Jean Grey aren't the only mutants who find love in the MCU. After all, it shouldn't be called the Mutant Saga unless all the mutants are living their best lives.
