Now seems as good a time as any to speculate on the ways the X-Men will be incorporated into the MCU. The sale of the floundering Fox movie division to Disney was announced in December (pending approval and at the current pace looking to arrive at the earlier target of 12-18 months). When complete Marvel will have regained most of the properties they lost in the 1990s (with the exception of the Spider-Man characters at Sony and the distribution rights for Hulk and Namor at Universal).
Knowing the characters are coming back is one thing, but what will the MCU do with them? What version of the X-Men will we see? There are many possibilities. Will Kevin Feige choose an era of the team, cherry-pick favourites (as Fox has done), or imitate the 90s X-Men animated series? We have no idea yet, because for legal reasons Marvel can't publicly discuss it until the sale is finalized (although I'm sure internally it has already been decided). I am under no such constraints however, so let's speculate.
While the X-Men have been around since 1963 (one of the many creations of Stan Lee/Jack Kirby), that's not the iteration that made them the bedrock of Marvel for 30 years. The reason why the X-Men were the most famous Marvel characters prior to the MCU is due to just one man: Chris Claremont.
Claremont took over the comic in 1975 and continued on until 1991. While he's been back at Marvel several times since his initial departure, his significant tenure remains the first 10-15 years at the helm of the comic--nothing since has been as impactful.
It's my belief that Claremont's run, particularly the earlier material, will serve as the inspiration for the MCU. This was largely true for the Fox movies as well, although their adaptations leave plenty of room for Marvel to make their own versions of those stories. The subsequent writers for the X-Men won't, I think, be as important (despite such lauded talents as Grant Morrison, Joss Whedon, Warren Ellis, and Brian Michael Bendis all spending time with them--no disrespect to those writers, as it's simply a reflection of how much their work is dependent on the earlier Claremont material).
This isn't to say nothing will be borrowed from modern writers, as not even Fox was that restrictive, using Whedon's initial storyline as the impetus for the lamentable X-Men: The Last Stand, and the mid-90s "Age of Apocalypse" for the awful X-Men: Apocalypse. I suspect initially the MCU will only borrow a few retcons and/or newer characters when adapting classic stories. It's those early Claremont stories that form the foundation of what made the X-Men such popular characters. Fortunately for Marvel, despite eight Fox films, there's a mountain of material that's either untouched or was poorly used.
I'll delve into which story they might adapt below, but fans should look from Giant-Size X-Men #1 /Uncanny X-Men 94-209 (1975-86) as the primary inspiration. The cutoff is because in Claremont's later phase he went through nearly endless stories about the mutant-human conflict ("Mutant Massacre" (86), "The Fall of the Mutants" (88), "X-Tinction Agenda" (90-91)). These not only become tedious (there's a reason why Comicbookgirl19's X-Men video series wraps up with the Dark Phoenix Saga, X-Men 138), but are stories that require significant development beforehand.
This focus on the Claremont-era would be a change of sorts from how Marvel has adapted stories thus far. Most of the current MCU movies borrow quite heavily from recent comics--Spider-Man: Homecoming owes a lot to the Ultimate Spider-Man imprint; Doctor Strange and Black Panther to their updated origins; Guardians of the Galaxy used the modern rather than original lineup; Ant-Man and the Wasp is inspired by a 2013 story, Avengers: Infinity War borrows from the 2013 version of the story, etc. Part of the reason we see this trend is that more recent versions are up to date with modern sensibilities, but this isn't as much of a concern with Claremont who was very progressive for his time--creating some of the most iconic female characters in Marvel (with a much smaller sprinkling of persons of colour).
The Fox X-Men, whose footprint is largely Bryan Singer's vision, ignored Claremont's ensemble approach and narrowed the focus to just a few characters: Wolverine, Professor Xavier, Magneto, and (to a lesser extent) Mystique. This approach caused problems because the characters from the comic are so well-known that fans could be bothered by their portrayal. The narrow focus means many characters who appear make no significant impression (what, really, is Storm's character arc in Apocalypse and how is it related at all to the Storm of the original trilogy who, in theory, is the same person?).
Another element from the Fox films is their heavy reliance on the theme of racial discrimination (also true of The Gifted). While faithful to the comic (especially the back half of Claremont's run), I think the mutant-human racial angle is difficult to make work now (this angle, fear of an empowered "other," didn't resonate with the Zack Snyder's Superman, Marvel's The Inhumans, or The Gifted; Deadpool 2 justifiably made fun of the trope and it does seem a little silly these days). At the outset it was a interesting idea by Lee/Kirby to use the X-Men as a template for racial discrimination for their (mostly) white readers, but their version of the X-Men didn't resonate and most of Claremont's classic stories do not focus on that element (serving instead as a backdrop). I think the idea continued to function on some level up until recently because comicbook fans themselves were a marginalized group--but now? Superheroes are popular culture, so being part of that group makes it very hard to see mutants as outsiders or an "other".
You wouldn't know it from the Fox films, but Claremont's version of the X-Men was often a lot of fun: they went into space, visited the Savage Land, etc. This made for a good balance against the hard-hitting personal stories. I suspect the MCU is going to aim for a young lineup with that same kind of split focus (something at least one other luminary agrees with), with the mutant-human issue as a backdrop. The reason I envision a younger group is to contrast them with the much older Avengers--it also means the audience can grow with them.
Thus far, when Marvel has re-acquired a property that's already appeared on film, they've put them on TV or Netflix (Daredevil, The Punisher, Elektra, and Ghost Rider). Presumably the idea is to both avoid brand confusion and to keep IP that's less PG-13 friendly off the big screen. When they've used character's with shared ownership (Universal's Hulk and Sony's Spider-Man), they've steered clear of what's come before--focusing on different stories and situations (neither was an origin story; Bruce Banner isn't just fighting the impulse to turn into the Hulk and Peter Parker's struggles are largely related to being a kid). This second approach is another reason why I think we'll see this approach with the X-characters (which runs contrary to a lot of theories I see, eg Rob at Comics Explained, whose prediction for them is very similar to what Fox has been doing for the last 20 years).
How do you make mutants suddenly appear in the MCU? This is a problem various people have tackled and only a few (eg) have picked what I see as a possible answer: Thanos. What I mean is the power of the Infinity Gauntlet, directly or indirectly, being the progenitor of them (through his or someone else's actions). This could mean iconic elements of character backgrounds are lost (like Magneto's past as a Holocaust survivor--something now 73 years ago), but I don't think Marvel is going to want to focus in the same way on the same characters that Fox did. Another possibility is that mutation has simply begun happening, but this is a weaker answer ("just because" is not very engaging). Using the Infinity Stones, even if it's not directly related to Thanos (Loki's invasion in The Avengers and/or Hydra's experimentation), could have unexpected consequences. There are many potential reasons, but I imagine the MCU will want to tie it in to previous events/effects (this would also differentiate it from Fox).
What kind of team will we see? There have been innumerable lineups and members to choose from so I thought I'd list several to illustrate the many possibilities:
- Lee/Kirby (60s): Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), Professor X
- Claremont (original/70s): Cyclops, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Banshee, Sunfire, Wolverine, Thunderbird*
- Claremont (my era/late 80s): Storm, Rogue, Psyloche (pre-ninja/pin-up era), Dazzler, Havok, Longshot, Colossus
- Fox Cartoon (early 90s): Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey, Professor X
- Morrison (00s): Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Phoenix (Jean Grey)
- Whedon (00s): Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Beast, Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), Lockheed, Colossus, Armor, Blindfold
- Guggenheim (now): Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), Nightcrawler, Prestige (Rachel Summers)
This doesn't include iconic characters like Polaris (who would join Peter David's X-Factor while I was still reading), nor the various creations of the 90s and beyond. Mystique, so prominent in the Fox films, was a villain during Claremont's run (albeit one with a special relationship with Rogue). I'll speculate on what I think the team will look like below.
Which X-Men?
What about the lineup? I've mentioned that the number of characters who have been X-Men is huge, so there are innumerable heroes to pick from. That said, the MCU will want to go with better known characters (since this is a well-established IP, unlike The Guardians of the Galaxy or the upcoming The Eternals), but how many and which ones is tough to say. It's worth mentioning that when it comes to gender or race-swaps in the MCU, Feige has held the line on well-known, core characters, but let loose with secondary ones (eg Heimdall, Valkyrie) and anything that looks alien (eg Gamora, Mantis). The only exception has been Nick Fury, but while well-known he was never an A-list hero so he still fits in with the general approach. There's an abundance of great female X-Men, but fewer mutants of colour that are as popular (with some notable exceptions). Let's eliminate a few potential X-characters to cut our list to a more manageable size (those highlighted in green had more than just cameos in the Fox movies/TV shows; I've included the year they were created and by whom in the comics):
- Colossus (1975; Wein/Cockrum): he's appearing as a regular in the Deadpool franchise and while I love the character I think he'll remain integrated in that sub-realm of the MCU (otherwise you worry about brand confusion); his existence means his sister Magik can appear (I don't think the Fox New Mutants film will "count" if it ever appears)
- Polaris (1968; Drake/Heck; Magneto's daughter): unfortunately used in The Gifted; I like the character (who has a very long history), but given that I think the MCU is going to steer clear of Magneto for awhile it would make her presence unlikely
- Phoenix/Prestige (1981; Claremont/Byrne/Romita Jr.; Rachel Summers): I'm quite fond of the character, but unless they change her origin she requires not just Jean Grey, but also the "Dark Phoenix" saga to make any sense--I believe that storyline is far away for the MCU (I don't think the two Fox attempts will prevent Marvel from doing it, particularly as the odds of Dark Phoenix being released are shrinking)
- X-23 (2004; Kyle/Yost): the female inheritor of Wolverine requires a Wolverine before she can appear (much like Kamala Khan's Ms Marvel needs Carol Danvers before she can appear, as I've discussed before)--down the line she'll show up, but not right away (I don't think her appearance in Logan is relevant, although it may close the door to race-swapping--the Fox version is biracial, the comicbook character is not, and the MCU doesn't like brand confusion)
- Angel (1963; Lee/Kirby): Warren Worthington has never resonated much and doesn't tick any boxes for what makes the X-Men unique; his only interesting iteration was when every character in Marvel was becoming a dark, Wolverine-clone (the 90s were an awful time for comics)
- Negasonic Teenage Warhead (2001; Morrison/Quitely): already in Deadpool, but I think there was no chance she would have been used regardless
- Blink (1994; Lobdell/Maduereira): I don't think we would have seen her anyway, but she has been used both in the Fox films and The Gifted
- Emma Frost (1980; Claremont/Byrne): a long-time villain who began the journey into becoming a hero shortly after I stopped reading comics; I think she'll appear at some point, but as an antagonist and probably not right away
- Captain Marvel (1968; Thomas/Colan); yes, she was with the X-Men for a time in the 1980s (if never formally a member); as someone getting her own movie in the MCU she's not a possibility
- Forge (1984; Claremont/Romita Jr.): only an occasional X-Man and were it not for research I would have forgotten he existed--there's nothing to get excited about here--he was a romantic interest for Storm, but I believe that will be Black Panther in the MCU (mimicking the comics)
- Original team composition: as mentioned above the Lee/Kirby founding team was never that popular and they aren't how the MCU version will begin (just as The Guardians of the Galaxy didn't use the original team)
That doesn't narrow it down very much, but I think we can make some educated guesses for who will be in it (and I'll go into why):
- Wolverine (1974; Wein/Romita/Trimpe): I've seen it argued that because of Hugh Jackman's iconic portrayal that the MCU will stay away from him, but as the most popular X-Man he can't be ignored (that same argument would mean no Spider-Man in the MCU and we've seen how well that's worked); I do think we'll get a slightly different version of him (perhaps more comic-accurate, ie, more firmly Canadian and perhaps a stockier actor), but there may be less emphasis on him since Fox has gone through so much of his origin material (my guess is we'll see the Department H origin with James Hudson, aka Guardian, and perhaps Alpha Flight, since that's virtually the only part of his origin Fox ignored)
- Storm (1975; Wein/Cockrum): a phenomenal character with a great arc that Fox has done nothing with; she has a strong link to Black Panther, which makes her a lock to appear (she could even debut in his sequel)
- Professor Xavier (1963; Lee/Kirby) it's hard to imagine the X-Men without him, so I expect he'll appear, but I think he'll be much more in the background than strongly featured (again to avoid Fox brand confusion); there's an argument to be made that the MCU could go for a completely different beginning and have Emma Frost as the initial leader (more in line with how the modern X-Men have operated), but I don't think they'll do something that radically different
- Rogue (1981; Claremont/Golden): never done well on screen (apologies to Anna Paquin--the take on her in the first X-Men was potentially interesting, but it never went anywhere); with both an iconic power and popular romance (as much as I dislike Gambit); she also has an interesting connection to Captain Marvel (unworkable unless she begins as a villain, but it would be fun to see that element--hell, she could even debut in the Captain Marvel sequel if they want to go that route)
- Nightcrawler (1975; Wein/Cockrum) also never done correctly by Fox (issues with the writing once again)--a fun character whose joking, swashbuckling nature has yet to be depicted (instead we've only had the morose, Matt Murdock-style Catholicism)
- Shadowcat (1980; Claremont/Byrne): more often known as Kitty Pryde these days, she's another fantastic character who hasn't been done well either (less an issue with Ellen Page as much as it is with the writing)
The maybe pile:
- Cyclops (1963; Lee/Kirby): while it might seem crazy to not automatically include the usual leader of the X-Men, I could see the MCU going with the more popular Storm as team leader to avoid the now very tired Cyclops/Jean Grey dynamic (and avoid brand confusion)
- Jean Grey/Phoenix (1963; Lee/Kirby): because she's had such a prominent role in the Fox films I suspect Marvel will stay away from her for awhile, which is another reason why you don't need Cyclops right away (one requires the other, so if we have one, we'll have both)
- Beast (1963; Lee/Kirby): I like Hank McCoy, but Fox has used him enough that any MCU-version risks brand confusion--he's a casualty of that (at least in the beginning)
- Gambit (1990; Claremont/Collins/Lee): if there's a Rogue we need a Gambit (my reservations aside), but he's not someone you need right away and it might be awhile before he becomes part of the team
- Iceman (1963; Lee/Kirby) I always found him bland and didn't think Fox did anything interesting with him, but he's an LGBT character in the comics, so maybe?
- Sunfire (1970; Thomas/Heck): ticks the box for representation and is an interesting character--the fact that he's fairly obscure isn't a problem and they could keep his rejection of the team intact (which would make him a temporary member)
- Thunderbird (1975; Wein/Cockrum; 2000; Claremont/Yu): there have been two Thunderbird's with quite different powers; the first has now appeared on The Gifted, meaning he's less likely to appear in the MCU--again, Marvel's desire to avoid brand confusion
- Havok (1969; Drake/Heck; Cyclops' brother): I wasn't a fan of Fox's version and he can be an interesting character, but he's not required, nor do you need him as a permanent member of the team (he's also tied up with his brother Cyclops and has a long-standing romance with Polaris)
- Dazzler (1980; DeFalco/Romita Jr./Stern): has a long history that isn't always as a member of the X-Men; she has enough cache to do well in the movies (she's one of the very few X-characters who managed to support her own comicbook for years), but there isn't a specific hook that means you have to have her (indeed, she's the kind of character you could easily put on TV--The Runaways prove the FX for shiny lights is very doable)
- Psylocke (1976; Claremont/Trimpe): probably the Jim Lee pin-up version, although I prefer the original Betsy Braddock; poorly done by Fox (Olivia Munn wasn't given much to work with), but as a character who can easily slip into a one-note, Wolverine-clone, the appeal here would be representation (despite my own feelings that once Claremont turned her into an Asian martial artist she became incredibly generic)--she's also possible TV fodder (the FX required for her is limited); if they go the Asian route I suspect they'll drop her connection to Captain Britain (her brother in the comics)
- Banshee (1967; Thomas/Roth): a B-list X-Man when he's been on the team; I rather enjoy him, but I'd be surprised if he was included
- Longshot (1985; Nocenti/Adams/Potts): a strange character whose powers are the same as Domino's (Rob Liefeld's classic "borrowing" to create characters), with a strong connection with Dazzler and, as such, a bit much for inclusion
- Jubilee (1989; Claremont/Silvestri): I'm not a fan of the character--intended as a Kitty Pryde replacement when that character was moved to Excalibur, she wound up dividing the fanbase (many found her annoying); she ticks the representation box, but I don't think she'll be shoehorned into the movies unless there's no Kitty (she's another character easily done on TV)
- Multiple Man (1975; Wein/Claremont/Buscema): rarely a full member, but a fun character with unique powers (I'm more familiar with him via his time on Peter David's X-Factor rather than on the X-Men)
I'm not as familiar with characters created after I stopped reading regularly (late-1992, which includes a group of retconned 1970s X-Men Ed Brubaker created in 2005, none of whom are particularly popular), but I don't think those that were originally with other teams (like The New Mutants) or were former villains are going to appear in the original iteration (the former for the sake of their own brands, the latter for the sake of future stories); I believe the X-Force characters are being left to Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool.
My guess is that the team will have six-members plus Xavier--that's how many heroes were in the first Avengers film and the first Guardians [technically five for the latter, but Nebula functions in a way that fits the idea]--it seems like the sweet spot of how many characters the MCU thinks you can safely introduce in an interesting way and get away with it (each film also had a mentor character: Nick Fury and Yondu). My hypothetical team would be: Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and one other--likely looking for representation (Nightcrawler could be race-swapped)--perhaps Sunfire? If it weren't for The Gifted I'd pitch Thunderbird. Coincidentally, this group is similar to the recently cancelled X-Men Gold team (listed above). If it were up to me I'd add classic Psylocke (who opens the door for Captain Britain) or someone obscure like Multiple Man or Magik.
There are many different approaches towards these characters as they all have deep, complicated histories (overly complicated in some cases). Do they have Kitty Pryde join as a 13-year old, as she does in the comics (slightly less evocative now since Iron Man does something similar in Civil War with Spider-Man)? If they pick the Department H background for Wolverine, is that slowly revealed or do we see it right away--does he fight Hulk as he does in his first-ever appearance? Does Rogue's origin include her interactions with Carol Danvers? This group includes three characters who could be introduced in other movies (Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and any vehicle that includes Hulk)--does the MCU take that approach?
Storyline
What do I think the first film will be about? It will be an origin of sorts, but with a very different arc than the first X-Men film. Singer's first effort (which Feige worked on) had the team already assembled--in many ways X-Men is Wolverine's origin rather than the team's. Fox didn't do a team-origin until Days of Future Past (14-years later), but the focus of that film is Magneto/Xavier (and Mystique) rather than the team assembled. In essence Fox has never done the X-Men origin in a traditional way, leaving that route open to the MCU should they wish.
There's plenty of precedent for the MCU not beginning at the beginning (Ant-Man for example, where we get Scott Lang's origins, but Hank Pym is the original Ant-Man; this is also true for both The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man: Homecoming which skip their origin story; from what we can tell Captain Marvel's origin is also non-traditional, using dialogue and flashbacks to explain her past). The last traditional origin MCU film was 2016's Doctor Strange (there was little choice here, as they had to introduce magic to the universe). It's also worth noting almost all the supporting characters in the MCU arrive as experienced versions of themselves--Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, Wong, the members of the Guardians.
I expect we'll get an experienced version of Professor X and (if she's included) Moira MacTaggert. With that said, introducing mutants into the universe requires some work, meaning we're more likely to get a Doctor Strange-like origin film rather than jumping in with both feet (explaining mutants could be done in another film, but that's a tricky approach, relying on the audience seeing that other film and understanding the world-building being done).
The film has to be an origin of sorts, but without imitating its Fox precedents. I think Len Wein's origin (Giant-Size X-Men #1) is a good place to look for inspiration. In that story the call to action is rescuing the original X-Men, which wouldn't work here. However, you could make the rescue be of Xavier himself. The 'hook' for doing so could be redemption arcs for those with troubled pasts (Rogue and Wolverine)--it would also provide an excuse to recruit someone young like Kitty Pryde.
In Wein's story the enemy is a giant monster and I doubt that's what we'll see--the only certainty is that I don't think the villain is going to be Magneto (the X-Men have a giant roster of villains so there are many options). What's important is less their enemy and more about them becoming a team--becoming the X-Men.
Going forward it will be interesting to see what the MCU does with the team. Fox has already attempted most of the best-known storylines ("Dark Phoenix" twice; "God Loves, Man Kills" as the basis for X-2; "Days of Future Past," albeit in a way where it could be used again; and the two storylines referenced above). What we haven't seen are things like the X-Men in space with the Starjammers, or in the Savage Land with Ka-Zar, or interacting with other mutant groups that aren't inherently hostile (like Alpha Flight). I don't think the Fox-attempts mean the MCU won't tackle those stories, but I think they will be more open to different types of narratives.
When?
When will we first see an MCU X-Men film? Typically it's a year from filming to screen, but before filming we need a script, director, and actors (this can be a simple or time-consuming process). I strongly suspect Kevin Feige has most of this figured out (especially given all the time he's had to prepare for it)--there are undoubtedly spec-scripts on-hand along with lists of potential directors and actors. We can't really compare the situation with Spider-Man because of the shared arrangement with Sony, however, that process (of introducing him in someone else's film) may very well be how we're introduced to mutants. It's likely, to my mind, that we'll see a reference or tease for the X-Men before their own movie arrives (the first opportunity to do so seems to be 2020, as all the 2019 films will have been locked by the time the sale is completed).
I think we'll have to wait about 18-months after the sale is finalized before we see a film--so the fall of 2020 at the earliest to the summer of 2021 at the latest (most likely summer or Christmas). I don't think any of the declared MCU dates will be used, instead the X-Men will get their own date (meaning four MCU films a year)--they can easily add this capacity because they'll have absorbed Fox's film division. If this seems like an eternity to wait, it's seems like the best we can hope for based on a standard development (this framework also applies to the reacquired Fantastic Four).
There are a ton of other mutant properties beyond just the X-Men: The New Mutants, X-Factor, Excalibur, Alpha Flight, etc. In movie terms I'm not sure how many would ever warrant their own films, although the latter has a connection to Captain Marvel that might be used (as in, them appearing in her movies--if I was given a chance to put in just my favourite characters from that team I'd want either version of Guardian along with Puck, Box, and Flashback). They are likely far down the line of potential development, unlike the X-Men which the MCU will want on-screen ASAP.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
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