The MCU X-Men: Here’s What the Team’s Line-Up Will Look Like If It Follows the Original Marvel Comics

Fox spent nearly 20 years making X-Men movies. But everything’s different now that Disney has acquired Fox. The mutants are heading into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and everyone wants to know how the characters will be introduced. The better question, however, isn’t how the MCU X-Men will join the series but rather which characters will be included.

The MCU X-Men have lots of options for its initial line-up

With the exception of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool (and hopefully, a few others), the MCU X-Men will probably go for a complete recast. Keeping this in mind, fans cannot assume the team line-up will closely resemble what we’ve seen on screen before.

After all, since their introduction in the 1960s, the X-Men comics have included countless heroes and villains. The MCU could opt to dust off some overlooked mutants who have been lost to history. Or it could aim to “play the hits,” tapping into the same old fan favorites.

The most likely solution, however, is a balance of both approaches. Much like the company did with Spider-Man, Marvel Studios will probably start with the source material to build out a version of the character audiences haven’t seen yet. Therein may lie a clue about the MCU X-Men.

The original comic book team will probably see some changes

In reimagining the X-Men, the MCU might take inspiration first from the original comic book run. With their first appearance, the X-Men team consisted of Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Jean Grey (then known as Marvel Girl), and Iceman. All of these characters previously appeared in the Fox movies.

However, in order to capture the series’ focus on diversity and representation, the MCU X-Men will likely include some other characters in the mix. After all, the 1990s animated series featured several other heroes, including Gambit, Wolverine, and Jubilee. In fact, Cyclops and Jean Grey are the only characters included in the initial comic as well as the Fox movies.

So it’s likely that pair will serve as the foundation, alongside Storm. But beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess who the MCU will add to the roster. According to rumors, Firestar could be a key element in tying the mutants in with Spider-Man and the greater MCU. Of the original line-up, Angel is perhaps the least represented in the movies. So he feels like a fair bet too.

Will fans meet the new X-Men team individually or as a team first?

Another big question regarding the MCU X-Men is whether fans will meet the heroes as individuals. The only other team movies the series has produced are Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy films. The former built up heroes like Iron Man and Captain America before uniting them. But the latter quickly introduced the Guardians and brought them together in a single movie.

The MCU X-Men could likewise choose to bring heroes in separately. For example, Storm is heavily rumored to pop up in Black Panther 2. Or the MCU might simply leap headfirst into a team-up movie with little preamble. That’s probably the more likely approach the series will take, seeing how most fans know the biggest characters already.

One thing fans can likely count on too is the lack of a Wolverine, at least at first. Hugh Jackman’s performance was so iconic that the MCU X-Men will probably steer clear of that for a nice long while. Here’s hoping we get some insight on the future of the X-Men in the near future.