However, due to the complex and controversial legal and contractual issues, the concept of mutants and the characters associated with it, such as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, were not part of the MCU for a long time. Instead, they were owned and produced by another studio, 20th Century Fox, which created its own separate and distinct film series based on the mutant concept. The Fox X-Men film series began in 2000 and ended in 2020, and consisted of 13 films that featured various iterations and adaptations of the mutant characters and stories.
In 2019, Disney, the parent company of Marvel Studios, acquired Fox and its assets, including the rights to the mutant concept and characters. This opened the possibility and the potential for the mutants to be integrated and incorporated into the MCU, and to interact and crossover with the existing and established MCU characters and stories. However, the details and the plans for this integration have not been officially announced or confirmed yet, and are still subject to speculation and anticipation.
Nevertheless, there have been some hints and clues that suggest the existence and the introduction of mutants in the MCU, such as:
- The Eternals: The Eternals are a race of immortal and powerful beings who were created by the Celestials, a group of cosmic entities who also experimented on early humans and gave them the potential to develop superpowers. The Eternals are set to appear in their own film in 2021, which will explore their history and their connection to the origins of the Marvel Universe. It is possible that the Eternals film will also reveal or imply the existence of the X-gene and the mutants, as a result of the Celestials’ experiments.
- WandaVision: WandaVision is a television series that premiered in 2021, and focuses on the characters of Wanda Maxwell, a mutant with the power to manipulate probability and reality. He was also the son of Wanda and Vision, and the twin brother of Thomas, who had similar powers. Maxwell was kidnapped and brainwashed by a mysterious organization, who wanted to use him as a weapon against the Avengers and the X-Men. Wanda and Vision, along with their allies, tried to rescue Maxwell and stop the organization’s plans.
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a television series that premiered in 2021, and follows the adventures of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, who inherited the mantle and the legacy of Captain America from Steve Rogers. The series also introduces the Flag Smashers, a group of radical activists who oppose the reestablishment of national borders after the Blip, the event that brought back half of the population who were erased by Thanos. The Flag Smashers are enhanced by a variant of the Super Soldier Serum, which was originally derived from the blood of a mutant, Isaiah Bradley, who was experimented on by the US government in the 1950s.
- The Multiverse of Madness: The Multiverse of Madness is a film that is scheduled to be released in 2022, and features the characters of Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff, who will explore the concept and the consequences of the multiverse, the collection of alternate realities that exist beyond the main MCU timeline. The film will also feature the appearance of America Chavez, a young superhero who has the ability to travel between dimensions. It is possible that the Multiverse of Madness will introduce or reference the existence of mutants in other universes, and potentially bring them to the main MCU timeline.
The Future of Mutants in Marvel Comics and the MCU
The concept of mutants in Marvel Comics and the MCU is one of the most fascinating and complex aspects of the Marvel Universe, and has a lot of potential and possibilities for the future. Some of the questions and speculations that fans have about the future of mutants include:
- How will the mutants be introduced and integrated into the MCU? Will they be retconned as having existed all along, or will they be created or brought by some external event or factor, such as the Eternals, the Scarlet Witch, the Multiverse, or the Celestials?
- Which mutant characters and teams will appear in the MCU? Will they be faithful to their comic book counterparts, or will they be adapted or modified to fit the MCU’s tone and style? Will they be played by the same actors who portrayed them in the Fox X-Men films, or will they be recast with new actors?
- How will the mutants interact and crossover with the existing and established MCU characters and stories? Will they be allies or enemies, friends or rivals, partners or competitors? Will they have their own separate and independent films and shows, or will they be integrated and incorporated into the Avengers and other MCU franchises?
- How will the mutants deal with the challenges and issues that they face in the MCU? Will they face the same or similar problems that they faced in the comics, such as prejudice, discrimination, oppression, persecution, and genocide? Or will they face new and different problems that are unique to the MCU, such as the Sokovia Accords, the Blip, the Infinity Stones, or the emergence of new threats and enemies?
- How will the mutants evolve and develop in the MCU? Will they follow the same or similar paths that they followed in the comics, such as the X-Men, the Brotherhood, the X-Force, the New Mutants, the Exiles, or the X-Men? Or will they follow new and different paths that are unique to the MCU, such as the Young Avengers, the Champions, the Ultimates, or the Illuminati?
These are some of the questions and speculations that fans have about the future of mutants in Marvel Comics and the MCU, and they will likely be answered and addressed in the upcoming films and shows that will feature and explore the mutant concept and characters. The concept of mutants in Marvel Comics and the MCU is one of the most original and enduring creations of Marvel, and has a lot of potential and possibilities for the future.
