Marvel Studios will soon need to figure out how to bring the X-Men into Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are plenty of ways to potentially retcon mutants into having been around for years, but the best way to make it happen could come in flipping a popular comic story on its head. That's right, Marvel Studios' adaptation of House of M is the way to bring the X-Men into the MCU.
Since 2008 - and in particular since 2012's The Avengers - the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building towards a major event. Avengers: Infinity War is (unofficially) the first part of the conclusion. Previously titled Avengers: Infinity War Part 2, the upcoming sequel is still just known as Avengers 4. Whatever the movie is called, it will be the culmination of the MCU to this point as the heroes look to defeat Thanos and reverse the snap.
Related: How Avengers 4 Can Add The X-Men To The MCU Retroactively
Marvel Studios is currently focused on wrapping up their first saga, but still has an eye on the future, and there are almost certainly plans being made to make the X-Men part of that future. Since Marvel loves to borrow elements from known comic storylines but do them with a twist, their take on House of M could be how mutants are brought into the MCU for Phase 4 and beyond.
- This Page: The X-Men Are Joining The MCU
- Page 2: House of M Can Explain The X-Men Without Ruining Continuity
Marvel Will Regain X-Men Rights & Add Them Into The MCU
The X-Men joining the MCU in the future is only possible now because of a major deal Disney is working on. It was revealed late last year that 21st Century Fox was for sale, and that Disney was the top suitor to acquire it - which is exactly what happened. The two studios are currently in the final stages of closing the acquisition. When the deal does officially go through early next year, Marvel Studios will add the X-Men and Fantastic Four to its library of superhero characters.
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has yet to reveal his plans for the X-Men - because he legally can't work on them yet - and is instead waiting for a phone call that says otherwise. Disney CEO Bob Iger on the other hand has already indicated on numerous occasions that all of the Marvel properties Fox previously had control of will fall under Feige's umbrella. Disney is acquiring Fox for more than just the Marvel characters that are packaged in the deal, but the higher-ups at the studio will likely want these new, expensive toys utilized as soon as possible. Feige is a bit more cautious with revealing how quickly it could happen, but that stance could change once he can actually use them at his will. Either way, the X-Men are coming to the MCU somehow.
The Problems With Bringing X-Men Into The MCU
This may sound like a simple task on paper, but it's complicated by the fact that the MCU has already built up a thorough in-universe history that doesn't include mutants. The X-Men were first introduced in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and have been foundational pieces of Marvel comics in the decades that followed. As shown in the comics, animated series, or movies, they come with their own expansive history, which could make it difficult to bring the X-Men into the MCU and keep their usual meaning. The X-Men are usually a metaphor for social justice, but that may not work in a post-Black Panther MCU.
Related: Rebooting The X-Men Is Easier For Marvel Than Rebooting Spider-Man
The fundamental problem with the X-Men's introduction is the question of where they've been for the MCU's entire history. There is almost no way to explain a large roster of mutants being on Earth this entire time and not being active that will be satisfying. Marvel could look to change this up by embracing the cosmic side of mutants first, but what about Wolverine's long life adventures, or Magneto's ties to the Holocaust, or even the rift that forms between the super villain and Professor X? Losing these aspects to the characters would be huge. Some have theorized that there could be just a few mutants who are actually around. They could be active independently and in the shadows, not even necessarily knowing they are mutants.
But even then, how does the MCU go from having just few mutants to hundreds if not thousands or millions of them? That is a giant leap to make, and potentially a difficult task to achieve. Cosmic events or other blasts of energy could make it possible, but one solution could come in a reversed telling of House of M. Elizabeth Olsen is onboard for an adaptation, and it could make Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch an even more important figure in the MCU.
Page 2: House Of M Can Explain Mutants Without Breaking Continuity
House of M is the Perfect Way to Bring X-Men Into the MCU
House of M is a comic event by Brian Michael Bendis from 2005, in wich an alternate reality was made where mutants are a dominant species on Earth. This new reality is born out of Scarlet Witch losing her mind, which led the X-Men and Avengers to discuss what her future should be. They ultimately decide she needs to be killed, but she can't be found and that's when the world changes. Only a few select heroes still remember the world that was. Instead of being a minority, the Earth's population is now 50 percent mutants. The new world is theorized by Wolverine (one of the few heroes to remember his previous life) to have granted each individual their deepest wish. The story is then about fixing the reality, but ends with Scarlet Witch saying, "No more mutants," resetting reality again and resulting in the majority of mutants losing their powers.
If the outcome of the story is reversed, it is easy to see how it could fit in the MCU. Depending on what happens in Avengers 4, Scarlet Witch being a bit mentally unstable is believable. She was forced to kill Vision with her own powers, only to see him resurrected and killed again, right before she disappeared. After already suffering the loss of Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, this could be too much for her to take. Vision could technically stay dead, but Wanda could then bring him back to life through her reality altering powers. As her mind slips, the Avengers could turn on her, saying she shouldn't have these powers to begin with and is endangering everyone. In a time of need, she could finish the reverse of this story by being the first person in the MCU to say "Mutants" and serve as the inciting moment to their creation, or at least expansion.
Related: How To Introduce Mutants To The MCU (Without Breaking Continuity)
But, it could also be possible that Marvel completely reverses the story to focus on the correcting of the timeline. It would be fascinating to discover that the first saga of the MCU is actually set in a timeline that was "corrected" by one of the main characters. Maybe someone like Nick Fury was granted his wish for the ideal world, one where he is a hero and major piece to forming a super team that saves reality time and time again. Such a story could then follow someone who has been around for years during this new timeline who also remembers the timeline from before.
Long-lasting characters like Magneto, Professor X, or Wolverine could be central to such a story. Magneto specifically would make sense as someone determined to restore the rise of mutants, so he reveals to other heroes what actually happened and how this new reality erased most of them. The story could conclude with Magneto revealing to Scarlet Witch she is not only his daughter, but also a mutant. Upon learning this, she could restore the proper reality and activate the mutant powers of millions in the process. It'd instantly give the MCU tons of mutants to introduce, while also being a way for Scarlet Witch to become a possible villain for a time due to the oppression all of mutant kind received.
How To Retcon Scarlet Witch Without Breaking MCU Continuity
In any House of M story, Scarlet Witch would need to play a major role, but her connection to the rebirth of mutants only holds weight if she is one herself. In the MCU, Baron von Strucker's experimentation with the Mind Stone is what gives Wanda her powers. While those experiments were taken at face value originally, Marvel Studios' Visual Dictionary teased that it may have "unlocked something latent inside Wanda." This has brought about speculation that Marvel is already laying the groundwork for a reveal that Wanda is indeed a mutant who had a latent X-Gene and the power of the Mind Stone is what triggered her abilities. It would explain why Wanda and Pietro were the only two who survived these experiments, because they are the only test subjects who had the dormant X-Gene.
This wouldn't break the MCU's continuity in the slightest, just merely retcon aspects of it. Scarlet Witch would go from a supporting character to one at the core of a game-changing MCU event. Olsen has been weary in the past that this is possible without taking away from the story they've established, but it does appear to be feasible. This type of future storyline that depends on audiences caring deeply about her could be a perfect reason why Scarlet Witch is getting a limited series of her own on Disney+. There may not be a perfect way to introduce the X-Men with their rich history in its entirety, but using Scarlet Witch and a House of M story may just be the best way.
MORE: MCU X-Men May Be Better Off Starting On TV
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