How ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Could Set Up Fantastic Four and X-Men

The live-action rights of X-Men and Fantastic Four have now reverted back to Marvel Studios and sooner or later, the characters will join the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans shouldn’t expect Wolverine or The Thing to show up in Avengers: Endgame, the upcoming blockbuster could change the fabric that holds the MCU together, paving the way for the two properties to join the universe at a later date.

With Endgame arriving in theaters later this week, let’s take a look at the situation and breakdown a few ways on how the Russo Brothers-directed film could set up the inclusion of the X-Men and Fantastic Four in the coming years. In the light of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s a well-known fact that the Avengers will have to go to drastic measures to return those they lost.

One of the most popular theories involves the team traveling back in time in order to snag the Infinity Stones before Thanos (Josh Brolin) can get his hands on them, which leads us to our first scenario. When you introduce time-travel into the equation, it’s the perfect way to organically introduce the characters into the mix. As the Avengers head back in time, there’s the possibility that they make a wrong movement and mess something up, which creates mutants and the First Family in the current timeline.

Another theory deals with some things both Ant-Man movies and Doctor Strange touched on — the involvement of the Quantum Realm. With the MCU’s version of the Quantum Realm in existence, it opens up the possibility of inter-dimensional travel, meaning that as it stands now, the X-Men and Fantastic Four could already exist in another realm or universe, accessible by the Quantum Realm. Going that route would give Marvel Studios a pseudo-Secret Wars plotline, where the universes would end up having to collide.

How do you think the MCU will introduce mutants and the Fantastic Four? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or join the conversation on Twitter by hitting me up at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Avengers: Endgame opens April 26th and will be followed by Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2nd.

—–

Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com, yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.

In this latest episode, we break down the trailers for Dark Phoenix and Child’s Play, talk Halo casting, and so much more! Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!