Many fans will agree that some of the characters from the Fox X-Men films were wasted. Luckily, the MCU has a chance to do justice to those same characters when the X-Men take over the franchise in its third saga, which will be the mutant Saga. The Multiverse Saga (Phases 4-6) is officially coming to an end. Specifically, it will wrap up with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, and then fans will be introduced to the next chapter of MCU storytelling with the X-Men at the forefront.
The X-Men movies distributed by Fox were successful and are still loved by many. However, it is no secret that some characters weren't given enough screentime, weren't adapted from the source material correctly, or simply weren't executed well by the creative team.
How Marvel Studios handles the X-Men and mutants as a whole remains to be seen, but there is at least a core group of characters who could be redeemed once they pop up in the MCU. For reference, it has not been confirmed when the X-Men movie will be released, but fans will have to wait until 2028 at the earliest.
Eight X-Men Characters the MCU Could Fix
Emma Frost
Emma Frost technically appeared in two past X-Men films but in completely different contexts. She first showed up in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine as the younger sister of Kayla Silverfox. Played by Tahyna Tozzi, Emma was imprisoned by William Stryker on Three Mile Island as one of his test subjects. She was eventually freed by Logan (Wolverine) but did not have much screentime.
Emma Frost had a bigger role in 2011's X-Men: First Class, where she was played by January Jones. Some of her powers were put on display in that film, but she did not return in Days of Future Past or Apocalypse, as it was confirmed through dialogue in the former that she died shortly after the events of First Class.
For there to be so many Fox X-Men films, Emma Frost was essentially wasted. She only appeared in two movies but barely even showed up in one of them. In the source material, Emma begins as a supervillain and a key component of the Hellfire Club (she was even deemed the White Queen of the club). However, she eventually has a redemption arc and turns into a leader of the X-Men.
The MCU could fix what Fox broke by introducing Emma Frost early on in the mutant Saga. If Emma Frost is played by the right actress and her character is developed across multiple films, she could be one of the biggest and most important characters in Phase 7 and beyond.
Apocalypse
One would assume that the ancestor of all mutants would have played a major role in Fox's X-Men franchise, but that was not the case. Despite one of the movies being named after the character, he only played a major role in one film (he did, however, appear in the post-credits scene of Days of Future Past).
In the comics, Apocalypse was portrayed as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe and was a major villain of the X-Men and X-Factor, another team of mutants. The Fox movies did not utilize Apocalypse the way they should have and essentially nerfed him in his self-titled film.
Apocalypse will almost definitely be an antagonist in the MCU once the X-Men are established and could even be a Thanos-level threat in the mutant Saga. Like Thanos, Apocalypse should be featured and teased in multiple movies before being the central villain of multiple projects. Fox also didn't do a great job at making Apocalypse seem as dangerous as he truly is or showcasing his power. With the right casting and effective appearances in films or Disney+ shows, Apocalypse could be one of the MCU's greatest villains.
Sabretooth
Fox's Sabretooth was especially frustrating because he appeared throughout multiple films (X-Men and X-Men Origins: Wolverine) but was never explored the way he should have been. It is also worth noting that Origins was not a great movie and did not explore the dynamic between Logan and Victor (Sabretooth) the way it should have.
Sabretooth made a return in Deadpool & Wolverine, so he has already technically appeared in the MCU. However, he was killed nearly instantly.
If the MCU continues Fox's storyline that Sabretooth is Wolverine's brother, their character arcs and interactions could be extremely emotional and engaging, which is exactly the opposite of how their dynamic in the Fox movies was. The MCU should spend more time focusing on the relationship between Victor and Logan, which would make their rivalry much more intense and earned.
Juggernaut
Juggernaut is one of the oldest X-Men villains. He played a major role in X-Men: The Last Stand and Deadpool 2 and returned for Deadpool & Wolverine. The major problem with Juggernaut in his Fox appearances was that he never got to be a central villain to the entire X-Men and wasn't utilized the way he should have been.
It would not be a surprise at all if Juggernaut were the main villain of one of the MCU's X-Men movies. In the comics, the character also faced off against other Marvel heroes like Hulk and Spider-Man.
If Marvel Studios could establish Juggernaut as a big-time bad guy, he could make appearances in other movies that don't feature the X-Men. That would only give his character more credibility and cement him as a memorable MCU villain.
Callisto
Callisto is another character who Fox wasted in its X-Men franchise. In the Fox movies, Callisto only appeared in The Last Stand as a member of the Brotherhood of mutants. She was also implied to be the leader of a group called the Omegas, which Marvel Studios could use to make the character better.
In the comics, Callisto was the leader of a New York City underground group of mutants called the Morlocks. However, she eventually had to duel Storm for that position and lost. Callisto's past and her history with characters like Storm and Kitty Pryde (who could save Phase 7) could set her up to be a major character in the MCU.
Fox threw Callisto into one of its films without building her up or giving her any substance. If Marvel Studios just takes some time with her and slowly integrates her into the franchise by fully exploring her past, she could be a strong character.
Omega Red
Omega Red is an X-Men villain who made a cameo appearance in Deadpool 2. However, the character deserves much more than a cameo, and Marvel Studios has the chance to do something not only historic but almost necessary.
The DCU is currently filming a full-blown horror film titled Clayface. It will be R-rated and dive deep into the horror genre. If Marvel Studios wanted, it could take the exact same route with Omega Red.
In the source material, Omega Red's real name is Arkady Rossovich. Before becoming an X-Men supervillain, he was a serial killer in Russia. If Marvel were to develop an R-rated horror movie about Omega Red's origins as a serial killer, he could be one of the most interesting and feared villains in the entire franchise.
Including Omega Red in the MCU in a minor role would do more for the character than the Fox movies did, but if Marvel Studios wanted to, it could build Omega Red up as an Avengers-level threat for the MCU's heroes.
Silver Samurai
Silver Samurai wasn't handled too poorly by Fox, considering he only appeared in one film, The Wolverine. That movie did a good job at explaining the history between Silver Samurai and Wolverine, as it showcased the origin of their relationship through flashbacks.
However, the MCU should consider utilizing Silver Samurai in multiple movies. There would be nothing wrong with him being the main antagonist of a Wolverine-centric film, but he could also appear in other projects. Silver Samurai also goes through a redemption arc, so it would be difficult to include a turn to evil, a rivalry with Wolverine, and a redemption arc all in one movie.
Dark Phoenix
There is no reason for the MCU's X-Men franchise not to feature Jean Grey as its main character. Jean has one of the most interesting and emotional character arcs in Marvel Comics history, which was not executed well in the Fox movies. Notably, the Fox movies essentially nerfed her in her own self-titled movie, doing an even bigger disservice to the character.
If the MCU follows the traditional X-Men team, Jean Grey should be the outright central character. Spending the entire mutant Saga exploring her origin, her turn into the Dark Phoenix, and her as the Saga's main antagonist could make the mutant Saga even better than the Infinity Saga or the Multiverse Saga.
However, if Marvel does go that route, Jean, her character arc, and her relationships with all the other mutants will have to be featured in many movies. That shouldn't be a problem, as other MCU characters have appeared in many MCU projects, but it is essential for that to happen in order for Jean's story to be told the right way.
