The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it might start happening with Spider-Man: Brand New Day if the rumors that Sadie Sink is playing Jean Grey prove true. The biggest challenge for Marvel Studios will be recasting a lot of the iconic X-Men characters that fans already saw in movies; heck, more than a few of them are about to show up in Avengers: Doomsday later this year. Getting fans to embrace new versions of characters like Cyclops, Professor X, Magneto, and the rest won’t be easy, let alone recasting Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. And even if that process goes well, recasting isn’t the only thing the MCU X-Men reboot has to do.
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A new era of X-Men films (and TV shows) will require some new ideas, storylines, and yes, new characters that fans haven’t seen in previous X-Men movies. Because if all the MCU does is repave the same road, what’s the point? Below we’ve compiled a list of 5 X-Men characters who have never appeared in the films before, but should absolutely be part of the MCU reboot.
5. Kid Omega
Unless the MCU reboot of the X-Men plans to uphold the continuity of X-Men ’97, we expect the franchise to introduce a younger team of X-Men who are operating in modern times. That means that it’s almost inevitable for the MCU X-Men to be Gen Z-coded, and no character represents that generational shift in mutants better than Quintavius “Quentin” Quirinius Quire, aka the self-named “Kid Omega.”
Quire was introduced in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men series of the 2000s. A new student at Charles Xavier’s school following the Genosha massacre, Quire represented (and still does) the younger generation of mutants who are tech-savvy, politically radical, and socially progressive. He is also an omega-level psychic, with unique mastery of telepathy, telekinesis, and psionics. At times, Quire has rebelled against Xavier’s school and its teachings and become a full-fledged villain. In more recent years, however, he’s been recast as the X-Men’s smarmy psychic powerhouse, working under Cyclops.
The MCU X-Men need a modern character to help set the rebooted franchise apart, and Kid Omega offers the sweet tension of having a possible next-gen Magneto sleeping under Xavier’s roof. Quire also brings the kind of drama a younger-themed X-Men movie sorely needs.
4. Dust
In a modern X-Men movie, representation will matter; there’s just no other way to say it. And as some of the trolls like to say, instead of race-swapping traditional characters, they should introduce diverse new characters. X-Men comics have certainly done that in the last decade or so, and the MCU X-Men movies need to keep pace. In that sense, Dust is a fan-favorite that deserves a spot in the lineup.
Another product of Morrison’s New X-Men run, Sooraya Qadir joined the X-Men when Xavier’s X-Corporation set up offices all across the globe. Born in Afghanistan, Sooraya originally came to an X-Corporation base in Mumbai, but hid herself by using her mutant powers to turn into sand. She was eventually discovered, welcomed, and joined the Xavier Institute in New York, where she became a regular character featured in various X-teams. Her sand form gives Dust the ability to do any number of things offensively, defensively, or strategically, with the side benefit of being hard to influence psychically or even magically.
Sooraya’s unapologetically Muslim heritage and culture have also been defining traits of her character, and it’s time to see that represented onscreen.
3. Fantomex
One of the wilder concepts that Morrison came up with during New X-Men is “The World” a bunker-style city/laboratory built by the Weapon Plus program (that created Wolverine), working with A.I.M. Within the sealed environment of The World, inhabitants are subjected to a process of artificial evolution via temporal acceleration, so that entire generations of time, development, and mutation occur within the equivalent of days or weeks in the outside world. The goal was to create a new breed of super soldiers (or “super-sentinels”) that would be stronger than mutants or other superpowered beings.
One of The World’s most successful creations was an experiment codenamed “Charlie Cluster-7,” later designated as “Weapon XIII.” A mix of human, machine, and mutant, Weapon XIII has a range of mutant abilities and genetically engineered enhancements, starting with superhuman strength and agility. His body is a mix of organic and tech, down to the blood in his veins, which is flooded with nano-tech machines. He has three brains that make him a super intellect and give him the power of illusion or “misdirection,” while his nervous system can detach from his body and become a spaceship-style vehicle known as E.V.A. that assists Weapon XIII on his missions. With E.V.A. detached from him, Fantomex cannot experience sensations like pain (unless E.V.A. is hurt).
After escaping The World, Weapon XIII took on the name “Fantomex” and gave himself the identity of a French mutant thief, seeking refuge at the X-Corporation. Eventually, his true origins were discovered, and he helped the X-Men battle Weapon Plus and other “children” of The World. Fantomex brings James Bond, “man of mystery,” intrigue to the X-Men universe, and the MCU could certainly use a character with his flair. Plus, The World has become a pivotal part of X-Men lore that the MCU could definitely explore.
2. Armor
Hisako Ichiki/Armor is another 2000s addition to the X-Men who has become a major fan-favorite over the last 25 years. Created by Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday in their Astonishing X-Men series (2004), Hisako came from Tokyo, Japan, to join the Xavier Institue, quickly proving how formidable and resourceful she is, by taking on some powerful villains, such as Ord of the Breakworld (an alien gladiator who came to Earth to wage war on mutants), and sentient version of the X-Men’s Danger Room that ran amok. After M-Day, when the mutant population was nearly extinct, Hisako became a member of Emma Frost’s New X-Men squad of young mutants.
Armor would go on to become a core member of the New X-Men, the X-Men, and during the Krakoa Era, she served in Bishop’s “War College” protecting Krakoa, as well as the new mutant-run version of S.W.O.R.D., which helped mutants use their power to achieve cosmic feats. Hisako’s power (to manifest a “Psionic Exoskeleton-Armor”) has been developed into an impressive ability, allowing Hisako to take on foes as big and powerful as the dragon Fing Fang Foom, or do unexpected things like focus her psionics into concussive blasts.
Armor is another much-needed addition to a modern X-Men movie franchise in terms of Asian representation, and she already has a dedicated fanbase that loves her. In a modern MCU movie, Hisako’s mutant ability also serves as a powerful metaphor for trauma – something comic creator Peach Momoko understood when she built an entire alt-universe X-Men series (Ultimate X-Men 2024) around Hisako and her emotional struggles. The MCU shouldn’t ignore that clout.
1. Forge
Forge is an X-Men character who has been around since the early 1980s, so it’s pretty wild that he’s never been featured in a live-action movie before. Forge offers a wonderfully complex contradiction of character traits: His mutant ability gives him unparalleled intuition and genius when it comes to inventing tech, planning strategy, or anything else he puts his mind to. At the same time, Forge’s cultural heritage as part of the Native American Cheyenne nation (and status as a tribal medicine man) comes with a whole lot of mysticism and spirituality. All of that is great material for a live-action character, not to mention a prime opportunity to get some of the X-Men’s longstanding inclusion of Native American culture onto the screen.
While he is most often a background or supporting character, Forge is pivotal to helping the X-Men as a walking plot device to explain how the team has cutting-edge technology like Cerebro, or any gear the X-Men need to control or enhance their mutant abilities. Beyond serving a useful function, Forge is also a compelling character, with his ability to predict future outcomes or invent things that are generations ahead of modern technology. He is essentially the “Q” to the X-Men’s Bond, and should be a major staple of the entire X-Corner of the MCU.
Are there any X-Men characters you think need their first shot at live-action via the MCU Reboot? Discuss with us on the Comic Book Forum!
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