X-Men Black: Emma Frost. Photo Credit: Marvel Comics.
The X-Men in the MCU
The future of the X-Men and related characters is still on an unsteady ground after the merger. As Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige says, Marvel may begin planning to bring the X-Men into the MCU starting this year. Granted, we won’t be able to see them in movie and TV form yet, but their narratives will at least start to simmer and develop this year.
As Fox concludes its main X-Men plot with the upcoming Dark Phoenix movie, it reminds us that the previous X-Men films were too stubborn to realize that X-Men stories (especially the Dark Phoenix arc, seeing as it’s a glorified space opera both in length and detail) need space to actually breathe.
While the rumors are still vague about how the MCU will incorporate the X-Men and which characters will trickle into the cinematic universe, it’s clear that a longer runtime works better for the team and the characters. After all, sometimes team-based or character-based origins can’t be summarized in one film or even a trilogy.
Since Disney+ will likely act as a storytelling platform in conjunction with the MCU films, the X-Men might be better introduced on the streaming service. From there, individual characters can crossover into the movie landscape for their well-deserved trilogies and beyond.