The Marvel Cinematic Universe is never afraid to listen to the fans. Back when Marvel Studios was developing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a movie that would feature its fair share of alternate realities, the higher-ups knew that they needed to fill the Illuminati with heavy hitters from the Marvel Universe. Mister Fantastic was chosen as one of the lucky few, which presented an oppurtunity to make a popular fancast a reality. While John Krasinski wasn’t in the franchise’s long-term plans, he got to play Reed Richards for a few minutes and mess around in the superhero sandbox.
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The same situation presented itself years later in Deadpool & Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and the rest of the writing team knew they had the chance to make many fans’ dreams a reality by having Henry Cavill cameo as a variant of Wolverine. Once again, it was never implied that Cavill would play the iconic mutant moving forward, but it was a taste of what was possible. However, while that’s all well and good, the Cavill situation sort of rubs salt in the wound because Marvel fans have been waiting for eight years for their biggest MCU wish to come true.
Marvel Became Whole Again in 2017
Back in 2008, when the MCU was just starting, the franchise was playing with its hands tied behind its back. Iron Man was the first movie out of the gate, and while it received an overwhelmingly positive reception, it didn’t have the same punch as the Spider-Man movies or some of the X-Men ones. The reason for that was that Spider-Man and Wolverine were far more popular characters. Unfortunately, Marvel Studios was unable to call on them in their hour of need because their movie rights belonged to other studios. But against all odds, the MCU persevered, releasing hit after hit and making its characters global superstars.
All was going well in 2017, with easily the MCU’s biggest film, Avengers: Infinity War, which would bring the entire franchise together for the first time, preparing to hit theaters. While Kevin Feige and Co. worried about getting that project in tip-top shape, their bosses were working on a major feat of their own. In December 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced its acquisition of 20th Century Fox, one of the most successful studios in the game and the owner of the movie rights of both the X-Men and Fantastic Four. Immediately, speculation began about when Charles Xavier’s superhero team would debut in the MCU. The milestone still hasn’t happened, but it’s closer now than ever before.
The Wait for the X-Men Is Almost Over
Since bringing the Fox characters back into the fold, Marvel Studios has sprinkled them into its franchise when it sees fit. For example, Professor X appears as a member of the Illuminati in Multiverse of Madness, and the Fantastic Four have their own movie. However, the X-Men haven’t been so lucky. A few members of the team show up in Deadpool & Wolverine, but they don’t assemble, opting to create a new group to defeat Cassandra Nova. Well, with an even badder villain on the horizon, Doctor Doom, the X-Men have no choice but to fight the good fight.
Avengers: Doomsday will feature several actors from Fox’s X-Men movies, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsden. They are going to reprise their roles one final time as part of the multiverse affair. However, getting the old band back together isn’t exactly what fans are looking for. They want a team that’s going to stick around for the long haul. Fortunately, a full-on X-Men reboot is in the works from Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier. It doesn’t have a release date just yet, but once Doomsday comes and goes, the real wait will begin, and it’s sure to be shorter than the first one.
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A Nintendo 64 console over a collage of game box art from the system's library.
