Kevin Feige seems to hint that theX-Menwill truly join the MCU followingAvengers: Secret Wars. 2024 has been the year of the X-Men asX-Men ‘97debuted on Disney+ to rave reviews and put the merry mutants back into the spotlight.Deadpool & Wolverinesaw various heroes from the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel movies, most notably theX-Menfilms, fight to save their universe. While Deadpool resides in his own universe of Earth 10005, the MCU has been planting the seeds for mutants with characters like Ms. Marvel and Namor, andCaptain America: Brave New Worldwill introduce the fictional metal Adamantium to the franchise.
Marvel is expected to drop some news at D23 Brazil, and before the panel, Feige spoke toOmeleteabout the future of the MCU. He hinted at the X-Men’s future role in the franchise moving forward, teasing that while their current focus is on finishing the Multiverse Saga,the X-Men will play a significant role beyond that. It seems to suggest Marvel Studios will not be announcing anX-Menproject until afterAvengers: Secret Warsopens in theaters in May 2027. Feige said:
“When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a matter of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that. This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what’s going to happen. be the story until then and beyond. The X-Men are an important part of that future.”
Marvel Studios has release dates already reserved forJul. 23 and Jun 16, 2025, as well as Feb. 18, May 5, and Aug 22, 2025.The MCU’s X-Men will most likely arrive then and be seen as the kick-off of Phase 7, which could be called the Mutant Saga or Dawn of X, like the critically acclaimed X-Men relaunch in 2019 that put the characters back into the spotlight. While that might be when the MCU introduces their version of the X-Men, one can expect the multiverse variants of Beast teased inTheMarvels,Deadpool, Wolverine, orChanning Tatum’s Gambitto show up inAvengers: Secret Wars.
Marvel’s Future Lies With the Mutants
While The Avengers have been Marvel’s premiere superhero hero squad in the 21st century, for nearly forty yearsthe X-Men were the most iconic team at Marvel Comics. They were one of their bestsellers, supporting multiple spin-off titles likeNew Mutants,X-Force,X-Factor,Excalibur, and many more. The 20th Century Fox films only scratched the surface of the rich lore in the X-Men franchise. Despite some fans feeling the MCU is running out of stories to adapt, the addition to the X-Men franchise opens up plenty of new possibilities that could theoretically support multiple phases of films and television series for years to come.
Original Deadpool & Wolverine Ending Featured Major X-Men Death
Deadpool & Wolverine nearly used “Like a Prayer” in a very different way.
WithThe Fantastic Four finally set to debut in the MCU towards the end of Phase 6,Avengers: Secret Warsis likely setting up for a potential soft reboot of the franchise. This would allow the MCU history to be rewritten to where the X-Men and Fantastic Four had always been part of the franchise, and these two properties could become major pillars of the universe’s future. This is certainly ironic as the X-Men and Fantastic Four were originally blocked from being the MCU since 20th Century Fox-owned their film rights. Now both franchises are coming in and helping restart the franchise. 2028 will mark the 20th anniversary of the MCU’s launch, and the X-Men kicking off a new era seems like a perfect celebration for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a new starting point.
