Credit: Marvel Studios / 20th Century StudiosIn light of the recent rescheduling and cancelations of many projects at Marvel Studios, it will be a long while before fans hear from any of the classic heroes again. While Kang the Conquerer continues to rise in the far corners of the Multiverse, it might be time to bring the X-Men to the forefront before the next Avengers-level threat.
With Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine, complete with his traditional yellow costume, and many fans are crossing their fingers for the return of Marvel’s favorite band of mutants to finally hit the MCU. This writer believes it’s possibly the best move the studio could make.
The World Needs the X-Men More
Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Incredible Hulk are some of the most essential players in the realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the franchise might not exist without them. However, their peak was the universe-wide battle that put all of the studio’s best heroes against the forces of Thanos. Since then, it’s been hard for any Marvel project to follow up on that jaw-dropping experience… Because they can’t.
You can do a period piece with a young Steve Rogers, bring Iron Man back from the dead, or even unite the Fantastic Four against Doctor Doom for a new wave of fans, but nothing the Avengers do now will compete with the Infinity Saga. It’s time to hand the reigns over to someone else.
Marvel Studios is sitting on a goldmine of potential; all they have to do is bring the mutants into the MCU. While that’s easier said than done, the X-Men aren’t just the next big thing for the studio’s to-do list, but a collection of heroes that audiences need more than another set of muscle-bound meatheads mashing CGI villains into a pulp.
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James Gunn spoke heavily on Marvel’s need for more emotional weight; hence his success with the Guardians of the Galaxy and The X-Men would be the perfect way to meet that need. If Hugh Jackman’s appearance is the beacon of hope he appears to be, fans might get more than just a helping of fan service.
Wolverine first appeared in Professor X’s second wave of X-Men. Although Cyclops, Jean Grey, the Beast, and Ice Man started it all, their successors make for a much more diverse and interesting team.
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Wolverine might be the poster boy for the franchise, but Nightcrawler, Storm, Thunderbird, and Banshee desperately need more representation. During a time when audiences are calling for more diverse casting in their movies, Marvel already has the perfect team for the job, as well as a massive collection of complex and exciting backstories that go with them.
Part of what made the X-Men so successful was the comics’ social commentary on issues like race, diversity, religious persecution, and culture wars. As the newsfeeds continue to roll with those exact elements on a daily basis, the stage has never been set better for Marvel’s mutants than it is right now, and an X-Men reboot could do it without being preachy.
There will always be an audience for the battle of good versus evil, but it’s time to give the cosmic and interdimensional threats a break and battle something that hits closer to home. It might not happen any time soon, given the current state of the studio, but Marvel is practically ignoring their next big franchise. Maybe that will change after Deadpool 3.
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