It’s no secret that Marvel Studios has regained the rights to all of the characters previously under Fox’s control. However, this does raise a lot of questions such as how and where these characters will be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
In the spirit of speculation, I’ve compiled a list of characters that would be easy to integrate into the already established Marvel Cinematic Universe.
7. Max Eisenhardt/Magneto
The Master of Magnetism appeared in eight of Fox’s X-Men films, portrayed by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender. Throughout the extremely convoluted timeline, we got to see the many different sides of the character, the villain, the mutant activist, the holocaust survivor and every now and again, the hero but one thing that was only alluded to was his role as a father.
There were hints that he was Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver’s (Evan Peters) father but it never went beyond subtle nods.
Wanda and Pietro Maximoff have been established within the MCU already, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson respectively. Whilst the latter was killed off in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch is still a big part of the MCU and is even getting her own Disney+ series.
In Avenger: Age Of Ultron it was revealed that their parents were killed by a Stark Industries mortar shell in Sokovia. But what if their real father was Magneto? They may never have met him or even known that the man who died in Sokovia wasn’t their real father. They could even be adopted.
This could be a good way to introduce Magneto who has learned that Wanda is his daughter. Wanda has no family left so learning her real father was alive would have a huge impact on her.
WandaVision is due to air on Disney+ in December, 2020. Only time will tell if we get any hint of Magneto’s existence in the show.
6. Lorna Dane/Polaris
Another character with ties to Wanda and Magneto, is Magneto’s other daughter, Lorna Dane. Polaris didn’t appear in the X-Men films but had a main role in the TV series The Gifted, portrayed by Emma Dumont. Polaris inherited Magneto’s abilities of magnetism and is easily distinguishable by her green hair.
In the MCU, if Magneto has learned about Wanda, he could know about Lorna too. He could have tracked her down and taken her under his wing. Alternatively, Polaris could have discovered her parentage and tracked down her half-sister (Scarlet Witch) to warn her about their father.
In the comics, Polaris has also been part of a team known as the Starjammers who are a band of space pirates. This would tie nicely into the cosmic side of the MCU. Instead of having her cross paths with Wanda right away, they could have her interact with the Guardians of the Galaxy first in their currently undated third outing.
5. Ororo Munroe/Storm
Storm appeared in six of Fox’s films portrayed by Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp. In the comics, she’s an X-Man but also has a rich history with another Marvel hero – Black Panther. When they were children, Ororo saved T’Challa from a racist called Andreas de Ruyter. They began a relationship which then led to their marriage, making her Queen of Wakanda.
In the MCU, T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) could have easily encountered Ororo Munroe when he was a child. If Storm had a role in Black Panther II (May 6, 2022), it wouldn’t contradict anything we’ve already seen in the films. It would make an interesting love triangle between T’Challa, Ororo and Nakia and would be a great way to introduce one of the most powerful mutants. It would also give Storm a much-deserved chance to shine on her own before rallying with the X-Men.
4. Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat
Kitty Pryde appeared in four of the Fox X-Men films, most notably portrayed by Ellen Page. Shadowcat is a mutant whose primary ability is phasing or intangibility, meaning she can pass through solid objects. There are a number of places that she could show up if Marvel Studios want to introduce her before their potential X-Men film.
The first place that Kitty could appear is as part of the team known as Excalibur. This team may not be familiar to MCU fans but it could be on the cards very soon. Excalibur in the comics is an offshoot of the X-Men based in the UK.
Eternals (February 12, 2021) is introducing audiences to the character of Dane Whitman/Black Knight (Kit Harington) who was a member of the team. There are already rumblings in the rumour mill that an Excalibur film could be on the cards so where better to introduce Kitty?
How about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? In the comics, Kitty was engaged to Peter Quill/Star-Lord who is already in the MCU (portrayed by Chris Pratt). During this time she joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, and even took the role of Star-Lord whilst he returned to rule Spartax. Maybe if Quill is unable to find Gamora and show her what they had, Kitty could fill that romantic void.
Another, less likely option is Captain Marvel 2. During her time with the Guardians, Kitty had interactions with Captain Marvel and fought alongside her. Could we see Shadowcat show up as an ally for Carol Danvers (Brie Larson)?
3. Anna Marie/Rogue
Rogue (Anna Paquin) was a main character in the original Fox X-Men trilogy. However, Rogue isn’t usually the clean-cut southern belle they made her out to be in those films. In the comics, Rogue’s foster mother was Mystique, and Rogue actually began as an antagonist to the X-Men and other Marvel heroes. The most notable of these heroes being Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel.
Not a lot is known about Captain Marvel 2, so an appearance from Rogue is still a possibility. When Rogue fought Carol in the comics she took on all of her abilities making her a real threat. She even used Carol’s abilities to take on the Avengers. This would make Rogue a powerful threat not only to Captain Marvel but to the MCU as a whole.
Another option would be to include Rogue as a member of Excalibur, a team that which she was also previously a member of in the comics. If the plan is for Kit Harington’s Black Knight to team up with Captain Britain and Excalibur then that opens up a whole roster of mutants that could appear. Rogue is one of those mutants that has a history with the team and could even appear alongside her lover, Gambit.
2. Senator Robert Kelly
Senator Robert Kelly appeared in X-Men back in the year 2000 portrayed by Bruce Davison. He is a perfect character to form an alliance with Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt). Ross was pivotal in the Sokovia Accords and it’s pretty unlikely, that even post-Endgame, Ross will have backtracked on his beliefs. If Ross were to team up with Senator Kelly they could cause even more problems for the Avengers and for the X-Men when they are finally brought into the mix.
Thaddeus Ross has a role in the upcoming film Black Widow (November 6, 2020). As for Kelly, if Marvel Studios did take this route, he could easily appear as a background character in any number of projects, laying seeds for a future clash with the X-Men.
1. Henry Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich was another character who appeared in X-Men, portrayed by Matthew Sharp. He had a very minor role and acted as Senator Kelly’s aide. In the comics, Gyrich works for the government and is anti-superhero. He was part of “Operation: Zero Tolerance” where mutants were hunted down after an assassination was carried out on an anti-mutant politician, giving rise to a lot of hatred against mutants.
Gyrich also has ties to the Thunderbolts, a team of villains, which connects him to Thaddeus Ross who joins the team as Red Hulk. It has been rumoured for a while now that the Marvel is getting ready to set up the Thunderbolts in the near future. And with the inclusion of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in Black Widow, and the return of Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), the leader of the original group, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this could become a reality.
Another team with ties to Gyrich that is confirmed to be joining the MCU is S.W.O.R.D. Similar to S.H.I.E.L.D. they are a counter-terrorism intelligence agency only instead of threats located on earth they deal with extraterrestrial threats.
Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) has been spotted on the set of WandaVision in a uniform bearing the S.W.O.R.D. logo. In the comics, Gyrich co-directed S.W.O.R.D., so this could be another way to introduce the villain.
His first role was a liaison to the Avengers, a role that he used to make their job very difficult. It was a way for the government to keep tabs on the heroes. And with some of the more headstrong Avengers no longer around, Secretary Ross could instate a government liaison to try and assert some control over the remaining heroes.
Whether any of these ideas will materialise or not is yet to be seen. What do you guys think? Which X-Men characters do you want to see join the MCU?
