With the release of Avengers: Infinity War fans are seeing the culmination of over 10 years of miraculous work on a single universe. Working towards a singular vision and having the guts to build and build on a strong existing foundation wasn't an easy feat. Film critics and Hollywood elites like bashing the explosion of superhero movies, but rarely do they give Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige the proper respect and kudos for launching, executing, and growing something the world of Hollywood has never seen before. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most impressive things seen at any point in the entertainment industry. Though the MCU is finally reaching a head in the Avengers fight against Thanos, it seems that Feige and company have many more stories they want to tell. The recent success of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Panther show that they can keep the MCU refreshing for everyone. Recently the news broke that Disney had successfully completed a deal to acquire Fox properties, which is a dream come true for X-Men and Marvel fans alike. Though Sony played nice and allowed Spider-Man to exist in the MCU the Fox deal is much bigger. It means Disney and Marvel Studios will have complete ownership and creative license of the X-Men. Let's now take a look at 25 Marvel Cinematic Universe fan theories about the X-Men that could be confirmed. Whether that may be in an upcoming movie, or potentially a Marvel special event, we may see how and when the X-Men enter the world of a post-Thanos MCU. Last —but not least— a big shout out to the MCU Wiki, which provided a lot of information for this article.
25 Hulk Vs. Wolverine
The Hulk facing off with Wolverine is one of the coolest comic events turned animated movies Marvel has to offer. They're two of their strongest heroes and it's super intriguing to see who would come out on top. In terms of pure power, Hulk would be the obvious victor, but that doesn't mean the fight wouldn't be extraordinarily entertaining to moviegoers across the globe. The huge issue with seeing this type of fight actually happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes down to whether or not Marvel Studios will have Logan introduced as the Wolverine in the MCU. We also haven't talked about the future of Hulk in the MCU. Mark Ruffalo hasn't really stated he wants to move on like Chris Evans has, nor does he command the contract that Robert Downey Jr. does, so it would be weird for him to leave.
The real issue is that, as long as Universal owns Hulk's rights, we'll never see a standalone Hulk film.
Also, in a move that would be crazy, the MCU could get rid of Bruce Banner in favor of Amadeus Cho. Cho, a super intelligent Korean American, succeeds Banner as the Hulk in the comics and gave the character a young and inexperienced refresh to the green machine. It would be awesome to see Asian representation in the MCU by way of a major character, but maybe that could be alongside Banner. The MCU without Bruce Banner just doesn't feel right.
24 Wolverine Was There All Along?
Though fans are excited to hear the news that Disney will finally own the rights to the X-Men, there are a lot of issues with introducing them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanks to the first Captain America film we seemingly have a history of superhero sightings in the MCU. This doesn't mean however that clever writing or the Infinity Stones couldn't bring the mutants into the fold in an organic way that doesn't feel forced or pieced together at the last second. Wolverine is arguably the most popular member of the X-Men and the mutant fans are most excited to see fight alongside the Avengers.
The problem with Logan is that his origin takes place around World War II after Steve Roger's transformation.
When he is introduced it will be interesting to see how Marvel Studios will explain how no one noticed someone as powerful as the Wolverine on the battlefield. They could possibly make it so he was on a covert mission or on another front of the war. Another likely explanation is that reality gets warped and we see a new reality where the X-Men existed the entire time. Many people assume it will be Logan's Wolverine that will be the face of the X-Men, but Marvel could avoid replacing Hugh Jackman by simply making X-23 aka Laura Kinney the MCU's Wolverine.
23 Sentinels Are The Next Big Threat?
Everyone's sitting around wondering what comes after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 in terms of villains. Many people assumed that after the events of Thanos' Infinity Stone conquest that Dormammu or the Skrull would likely become the next threat the Marvel Cinematic Universe builds towards. Though Doctor Strange gave us glimpses of the big bad, that doesn't mean he's locked in to be the next threat. With the acquisition of X-Men from Fox, it seems that Marvel's options just expanded. Some popular choices now include Dr. Doom and Galactus, but what if it's actually the Sentinels? Their one of the classic threats the X-Men face throughout the comics and cartoons and could provide a real problem and conflict for the heroes to defeat. It seems that the only way to make the Sentinels a real threat against the current and known future superheroes in the MCU they'll need to be paired with another real threat for it to feel as though it matters. Marvel Studios could make the Sentinels believable as the next big threat to the universe, but the reality of the situation is that they'll probably be a threat for the X-Men which will lead the team of mutants into the Avengers real threat on the universe.
22 Wolverine In Avengers 4
Now, this could be a false flag and could simply be a misunderstanding, but it doesn't hurt to talk about it. Hugh Jackman was spotted on the same lot as Avengers 4 during the filming of the next big Marvel Cinematic Universe group up event. Jackman was photographed in Atlanta, Georgia seemingly sporting his iconic Wolverine look. Does this mean we'll finally see Wolverine fighting alongside Iron Man and the Hulk? Sadly, the truth is probably not. Considering Avengers 4 will be dealing with whatever the fallout of Avengers: Infinity War is and using Infinity Stones to manipulate things, it isn't outside the realm of possibility this is how the X-Men are introduced. If Hugh Jackman does indeed appear in the 2019 Marvel blockbuster hedge your bets on him appearing in a post-credits scene. However this happens, the entire Marvel fanbase is hoping this set photo is true in terms of him filming for Avengers 4. People do however have to remember that tons of films shoot at the lots in Atlanta, Georgia and it could have simply been a hilariously accidental coincidence. Time will tell, but remember to set your expectations appropriately. You can't get mad at Marvel not having him in Avengers 4 if that wasn't even a thing. Until they're proven as fact rumors are simply rumors.
21 Avengers Vs. X-Men
Will Avengers vs. X-Men be the next big overarching narrative for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It's hard to imagine where the MCU pivots in terms of the next big event they build towards. If it happens to be a singular villain will it be Dormammu, Dr. Doom, or possibly even Galactus? If it's more of an event do they do House of M, Secret Invasion, or World War Hulk? One of the likeliest choices would probably be Avengers vs. X-Men. The infighting can center around naturally born superheroes versus those who obtained their powers later in life.
It could also be a great way for the MCU to include the Civil War II event from the comics.
They can have the character who can see crimes before they happen, happen to be a mutant, and the use and exploitation of him could cause a rift between the Avengers and the X-Men. The hard part is making people believe they truly are fighting one another. Captain America: Civil War was a great film because it had the stakes of a big event, but not the hype or build up of Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel Studios will probably do Avengers vs. X-Men but look for it to be a singular film and not the overarching event for the next 10 years of the MCU.
20 Quicksilver Will Return
In Avengers: Age of Ultron fans were gifted with the presence of both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Due to the events of the movie it seemed that Scarlet Witch would be the only one of the two to continue her Marvel Cinematic Universe stint. Many people assumed that we would never see Quicksilver again in the MCU. His untimely depart and the fact that Disney didn't have the rights to the X-Men made it feel as though we would never see the speedster again. At the same time, X-Men fans everywhere were falling in love with Evan Peters portrayal of the character in the new X-Men reboot. With Disney's recent acquisition of Fox's Marvel properties, it seems there's a good chance we'll see the silver speedster enter the MCU once again. Fans are clamoring for Evan Peters to continue as Quicksilver, but recasting is something that Marvel Studios hasn't been clear about either way just quite yet. The biggest worry is that Marvel Studios never touches Quicksilver again considering he's already had a presence in the MCU, even if it was for less than an entire movie. Would they focus time and attention on a character they've already done in favor of a huge roster of diverse characters in the X-Men? It seems that time will tell.
19 X-Men: First Class Is MCU Canon?
It seems that everyone expects Disney and Marvel Studios to usher in a new era of X-Men separate from any of the previous films. The lore of the Fox universe spans many films and at times it could feel a bit confusing or convoluted. Marvel Studios managed to work with Sony and reboot Spider-Man for the 3rd time and delivered what many fans believe to be the best version of the character we've ever seen on the big screen. Because of this happening it seems only right that they would start at ground zero for the X-Men. What if this isn't the case after all, though? A recent report suggests that Dark Phoenix will somehow give audiences a glimpse at the X-Men being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Questions are starting to arise about how exactly they'll be going about this. It seems that the safest bet is a glimpse at an alternate universe via Phoenix's extraordinary powers unleashing themselves during her breaking point. Considering the movie is meant to take place during the 90's we might even see a glimpse at a younger version of MCU mainstays. Marvel Studios could also elude to the X-Men's inclusion in the MCU by showcasing an end to the Fox X-Men universe by having Phoenix destroy it at the end of the movie.
18 New X-Men Canon In The MCU
Over the years fans have had the opportunity to experience the X-Men through Fox's inconsistent films. It seems for every two great X-Men films there's always a tremendous dud. It's very likely that we won't see any of the cast reprise their roles when the X-Men make their entrance into the MCU, but what about Fox's X-Men universe lore and history? This will also likely get the boot in favor of a less confusing, less convoluted, more easily digestible setup by Marvel Studios. Marvel Studios has done an excellent job of taking obscure characters such as the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man and making their stories relevant and entertaining to the masses. They won't have a hard time taking one of the largest Marvel brands in the X-Men and giving them a cohesive and well-told series of events. The upcoming releases of Dark Phoenix and New Mutants make things confusing in terms of what the first Marvel Studios X-Men films will be, but rumors suggest Dark Phoenix will hint at the MCU and New Mutants will officially be in the MCU. Disney and Marvel Studios will have a clean slate, and unlike their partnership with Sony and Spider-Man, they've had complete artistic and creative license over what the MCU's version of the X-Men will be.
17 Magneto: Villain To Anti-Hero
Magneto's entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be interesting considering he would have been close to where Captain America was fighting WWII enemies in his first film installment. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Marvel Studios does the traditional thing of introducing Magneto as a true villain and slowly turning him into more of an anti-hero as time goes on. We've seen it done in the Fox movies before, but seeing it done by Marvel Studios could really make it resonate. If Avengers: Infinity War is any indication of what the MCU could do in terms of team-ups, it wouldn't be surprising to see Magneto and crew eventually team-up with the X-Men to face an even bigger threat. Considering Tony Stark might be well on his way to retirement in the MCU it will be a real shame to not see Magneto against Iron Man. Then again I don't know if fans could handle seeing the suit squished into a quarter. That being said, how will Magneto interact with Black Panther, Winter Soldier, and Falcon? All of their suits are made of vibranium and metal. Marvel Studios may choose to nerf Magneto's powers or maybe even wait to introduce him at a later point.
16 Keeping The Cast
One of the biggest questions on everyone's mind revolves around the recasting of the current lineup of X-Men. There are a ton of pros and cons surrounding Marvel Studios and Disney's choice to either keep the same group of actors or completely start from scratch. Let's first start off with the pros of the situation. Not recasting entirely allows Marvel Studios to hit the ground running with actors who already know their characters. A reboot might shift story-lines and character motivations, but the experience and understanding will still be there. Secondly, Evan Peters might be the greatest Quicksilver we'll ever get. A huge issue with not recasting might lead to confusion in the theaters for people who don't understand why the characters didn't age from the 90s. Now let's move on to what recasting entirely or almost entirely could do.
First, just because they majorly recast doesn't mean we'd lose everyone.
Here's looking at you, Evan Peters. Next, it would allow them to not be tied to huge contracts or actors who no longer are interested. The most logical reason they'll recast is to really make it feel like a fresh start for the X-Men as they're set to enter the MCU for the first time.
15 X-Men Theme Surprise
Well, this one will probably be partially true. Marvel Studios does a great job at scoring entrances for characters as they come on screen, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to hear the X-Men theme before laying eyes on an unexpected X-Men cameo in an upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. Fans lost their minds when they first heard the slightly altered version of the classic Spider-Man theme at the beginning of Spider-Man: Homecoming. One can only imagine that the applause will match or exceed that when the X-Men theme is heard as the Marvel Studios introduction plays for the first time together. There have been tons of rumors floating around about who, when, and where we will see an X-Men character appear in the MCU. It's safe to say that when it does happen it will more than likely be accompanied by intro music resembling the X-Men theme. Many of the rumors I just mentioned suggest the Wolverine will be the first character we see on screen in an MCU movie, but it seems the safer bet might be on the likes of Professor X. However they plan to bring in the mutants we all know it won't feel right without the iconic score.
14 Spider-Man Meets The New Mutants
Spider-Man is one of the newer Marvel Cinematic Universe characters and also the youngest superhero outside of teenage Groot. Though Spider-Man: Homecoming did an excellent job at showing Peter Parker interact with other high school kids as he balanced his new life as a powered up hero. What we need next from the MCU is to show us what it's like for younger heroes to come into their own among other people with the same growing pains and issues. It seems that the X-Men movies might do exactly that with young mutants coming into their own under the watch of Professor X, but what if they go with an older group?
This means that we could see a crossover between the upcoming teen horror movie New Mutants and Spider-Man himself.
All of the heroes featured in New Mutants are around the same age as Peter Parker and are dealing with their powers in odd ways. The New Mutants movie was also recently delayed due to reported reshoots making the movie scarier in overall tone, but who's to say it wasn't altered by the Fox acquisition. Many outlets and fan groups are speculating that New Mutants might be the first canon X-Men film in the MCU. Why not have these troubled kids spend some time with Peter Parker in a Marvel meets Breakfast Club type film?
13 Patrick Stewart Cameo
It's hard to imagine an incarnation of the X-Men without Patrick Stewart portraying an older version of Professor X. Recasting the man in the wheelchair will be just as challenging a feat as finding a new Wolverine. Even if you get a fantastic actor it's a character that's been tied to a singular actor for so long. Though James McAvoy did a great job of stepping into the shoes of a younger Xavier, we haven't seen what a new actor playing old Xavier would feel and look like. A popular theory suggests that we might see brief cameos by all of the original X-Men right before the merger happens and are introduced to the new cast of X-Men in the MCU. Being able to see a conversation play out between Professor X and either Doctor Strange or Tony Stark would be fascinating. Xavier tends to be calculated and soft-spoken, so it would be great to see him try and converse with two overly confident knuckleheads. Patrick Stewart is such a magnificent actor, but it seems that Logan was likely his last portrayal of the brilliant leader of the X-Men. Marvel Studios has been known to use aging effects to give us glimpses at younger and older versions of current characters. It wouldn't come as a surprise if an older look at Professor X revealed a hidden cameo by Patrick Stewart.
12 Magneto & Red Skull
The Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline is laid in place so it seems that the introduction of the X-Men will come at the expense of lost origins or a possible altered reality where mutants have now existed in the MCU the entire time. It would essentially mean we could revisit past events of the MCU but there would be some subtle and not-so-subtle changes occurring. Magneto's origin revolves around him growing up in a concentration camp. This means that in the MCU Magneto's childhood will have some interaction with the early days of Captain America. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Red Skull somehow had a hand in making Magneto the cold and calculated mutant leader he becomes. Though the actor for Red Skull has stated he would never return to the MCU, it doesn't mean we've seen the last of the villain. Prosthetics and digital effects could bring the character back to the screen for flashbacks to the past if need be. How Marvel Studios and Disney both introduce the X-Men to the MCU and explain where they were in historic moments will be a true test of magic by the teams that have delivered that same magic for Spider-Man and others.
11 The Eye Of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto encompasses the time stone, which makes it not only one of the more powerful Infinity Stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also the ultimate retcon device. Time manipulation allows Marvel Studios to go back in time and change events to fit the current state of the universe to their bidding. The hardest part about introducing the X-Men 10+ years into the MCU is making it make sense. A number of X-Men have origins that date back to World War 1. This means that fans will be wondering how exactly they existed in the MCU for so long without anyone noticing them.
Many people feel that reality and/or universe merging and warping will be the way Marvel Studios brings them in.
Another theory suggests that time travel could ignite the mutant genome. What if Doctor Strange learns how to send himself back in time and does something that causes the mutant gene to be activated? However it's handled, the introduction of the X-Men into the MCU is as exciting for fans as it is a headache-inducing event for Kevin Feige and company. It will certainly be no easy feat.
10 X-23 Is MCU's Wolverine
With the ending and success of Logan, it may be fitting to introduce his cloned daughter X-23 aka Laura Kinney as Wolverine in the MCU. She currently has a really great run in the comics that focus on her really coming into her own as Wolverine. She deals with a ton of loose ends and comes to appreciate the people that love her. It's similar to Wolverine's personal character journey but adds in a ton of wrinkles that make Laura's adventure uniquely hers. Fans are also introduced to a clone of Laura named Gabrielle that eventually earns the codename Honey Badger. The MCU lacks a ton of younger heroes outside of teenage Groot and Gabrielle adds a ton of humor and perspective to a superhero world told from the view of troubled adults. Laura Kinney may not have the legacy and fandom of Logan, but that doesn't mean her story doesn't deserve to be told. It really comes down to what Hugh Jackman decides to do and if Marvel wants him back. Fans will seemingly be in an uproar if anyone else is cast as Wolverine, so why not introduce his female counterpart? Laura's story hasn't been told yet by Fox, and it will be another strong female character the MCU could definitely use.
9 Complete Recasting
We've already touched on the idea that Marvel Studios may, in fact, keep the cast intact as best they can. It would give them an easier transition and allow actors to hit the ground running with characters they already know. Many of the actors probably wouldn't mind considering they've probably seen how successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe is and know it's not a common thing to be asked to join the ranks of Marvel Studios superheroes. That being said, it also wouldn't be too shocking if Kevin Feige wanted a completely clean slate for the X-Men in the MCU. There are a couple of actors they may keep, but it's highly likely we'll see an entirely new cast of mutants in the MCU.
The main core of the X-Men team are the hardest ones to call in terms of recasting.
They've gotten the most screen time and are more often than not played by pretty talented actors. According to Feige and Marvel Studios, we won't be getting any indication of what they plan to do with casting until after Avengers 4 releases in May of 2019. The X-Men Days of Future Past franchise cast includes some pretty big names including Sophie Turner and Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence seems to be over superhero films, but Turner might be all in on the MCU considering Game of Thrones is set to end in a coming couple of years.
8 Dark Pheonix Glimpses At The MCU
We briefly touched on this earlier, but it seems to be a pretty big theory with some hefty evidence to back it up. There are currently reports floating around that the upcoming X-Men film Dark Phoenix will somehow elude to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some way. Fans speculate that Jean Grey's powers will allow her to peer into other realities and universes and that's when we'll get a glimpse at the Marvel Studios mega heroes. Considering how powerful Phoenix becomes during this story arc in the comics it isn't outside the realm of possibility that this will indeed be the way they elude to the MCU at large. Another idea centers strongly around Phoenix altering reality and the universe as they know it and she somehow merges the X-Men universe with the MCU one. This would be a great way to retcon the recasting, why the X-Men were unnoticed for so long in the MCU, and why they're finally a part of the MCU. Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have a lot of tools at their disposal to make it make sense. Scarlet Witch and Phoenix are strong enough to alter reality and the universe, and the MCU has already introduced the Infinity Stones. Having these things allows you to retcon and change things in ways other movie franchises could only dream of.
7 Classic Suits?
Though fans have had the pleasure of watching Hugh Jackman portray Wolverine for almost the entirety of Fox's X-Men movie run, they haven't been gifted one thing. We've never seen Hugh Jackman don the classic Wolverine costume. Somehow we've seen him as Wolverine in 10 movies, including two solo outings, but having seen him in the classic yellow. Thankfully in X-Men: First Class and Deadpool we were treated to the bright yellow outfits of the X-Men people remember from the 90s, but neither of those includes Wolverine. Fans are hoping to see Hugh Jackman back to reprise his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but wouldn't it be even more shocking if he comes on screen sporting the classic yellow and blue? Jackman has stated that Logan was going to be his last outing as the angry outcast, but being a part of Marvel Studio's extraordinary accomplishment might change his mind. Then again the taxing nature of getting his body into phenomenal shape may have taken its tole. Whether it's Hugh Jackman or not, the Wolverine's next outing should finally include a look at his classic suit in action. Maybe the classic suit will be worn by a different Wolverine, Laura Kinney aka X-23.
6 Different Universes
Many people assume that it's a no-brainer and the X-Men will merge or come into existence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe shortly after the events of Avengers 4 in May of 2019. Though this is likely considering what happened with Spider-Man recently, the X-Men provide an entirely new challenge. Unlike young Peter Parker, many of the X-Men have origins that occur during key points of history in the MCU. It's going to be a colossal task to not confuse audiences while at the same time not treading ground that's already been done over and over by Fox. As crazy as it sounds Kevin Feige could create a parallel franchise and universe with the X-Men and have them separated entirely from the MCU. This could then lead to the merging of universes in the next big MCU event titled Avengers vs. X-Men. This would follow a huge story-line from the comics and give Marvel Studios another huge event to build towards the same way they did with Thanos. Then again we could see the same fight and turmoil come to a head as a result of years of infighting between the two groups both inside the MCU proper. It's tough to predict what Marvel Studios plans to do in terms of introducing the X-Men, but don't put all your money on them injecting the X-Men as soon as possible. Anything can happen in a post-Avengers: Infinity War world.