Some of the most iconic mutant characters from Marvel Comics need redemption in the upcomingX-Menreboot in theMCUafter 20th Century Fox failed them. After many members of Fox’s classic X-Men team return to action inAvengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios is expected to completely reinvent theX-Men team for the MCU. The reintroduction of the X-Men, their supporting cast and their adversaries creates the perfect opportunity for Marvel to finally redeem some of the characters that 20th Century Fox neglected the most.
Marvel Studios is currently inactive development of an officialX-Menreboot, penned byThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeswriter Michael Lesslie. Recent speculation suggests the likes of Sadie Sink, Harris Dickinson and Julia Butters could be in the running for roles including Jean Grey, Cyclops, Kitty Pryde and more. While nothing has yet been confirmed, this impliesMarvel Studios is hoping to focus on some underrepresented and underutilized mutant characters last seen in Fox’sX-Menfranchise, which means other neglected characters could also get redeemed.
8Emma Frost
Tahyna MacManus & January Jones Played Emma Frost In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
First appearing to loosely inspire Kayla Silverfox’s sister inX-Men Origins: Wolverine, played by Tahyna MacManus, and later as a lackluster sidekick inX-Men: First Class, with January Jones at the helm, Fox barely scratched the surface of what makes Emma Frost such an iconic Marvel character. Femme fataleEmma Frost is one of the most powerful and significant charactersassociated with the X-Men in Marvel Comics, so it’s a dire shame she has never seen this justice in live-action.Marvel Studios needs to reinvent Emma Frost and make her a much more important character.
Forget Spider-Man 4’s Black Cat, I Think This X-Men Role Is A Much Better Fit For Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney has been heavily fan-cast as Spider-Man 4’s Black Cat, but I think she’s much better suited to be one iconic X-Men femme fatale.
While she started out as a villainous member of the Hellfire Club in 1980,Emma Frost went on to become an antihero and later a bona fide hero, even eventually leading the X-Men and branches of Xavier’s School. She never saw this growth in Fox’sX-Menfranchise, and was never depicted as more than a minor character, with her full appearance inFirst Classintroducing her as just Sebastian Shaw’s lackey. It would be fantastic to see Emma Frost finally depicted as an independent and formidable hero in the MCU.
7Ororo Munroe’s Storm
Halle Berry & Alexandra Shipp Played Storm In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
Despite being featured as a main character in almost every installment in Fox’sX-Menfranchise,Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. the powerful mutant known as Storm, was never handled quite right.Storm is practically a goddess in Marvel Comics, one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe and one of the most beloved heroes ever to exist. This meant it was pretty disappointing to see her relegated to a supporting character and routinely sidelined in Fox’sX-Menfranchise, both in the original and revised timelines where she was played by Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp, respectively.
Storm recently made her official MCU debut as a variant of the Goddess of Thunder in Marvel Animation’sWhat If…?season 3, voiced by Alison Sealy Smith, who also voices the formidable hero inX-Men ‘97, a revival ofX-Men: The Animated Series.
With the power to control and manipulate the elements,Storm is a significant asset to the X-Men team, but her powers were seldom explored, and she got next to no development in Fox’sX-Menfranchise. It’s been great to see Storm finally getting some attention inX-Men ‘97andWhat If…?season 3, but we want her to take center-stage in live-action, too.Storm is one of the few X-Men members who could easily headline a solo MCU movie, especially since her rich Wakanda-connected backstory hasn’t been explored in live-action, so we hope Marvel Studios makes this happen.
6Remy LeBeau’s Gambit
Taylor Kitsch Played Gambit In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
Gambit is one of Marvel’s most popular and iconic X-Men members, so it was a surprise to see him wasted so monumentally in Fox’sX-Menfranchise. Cajun mutant Remy LeBeau only made one appearance in the franchise, portrayed byTaylor Kitsch inX-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was a controversial casting choice after Channing Tatum had already been lobbying for the role for several years.Tatum would eventually debut as a comic-accurate Gambit in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine, and receive praise for the role, but Fox failed him time and again.
Tatum originally vied to portray Gambit inX-Men: The Last Stand, buthis scenes were cut, and plans for an appearance inX-Men: Apocalypse,which would have led to a solo movie, fell through. Kitsch delivered a passable performance as Gambit, but it was tainted byOrigins’poor performance and the fact that the character never made another appearance in the franchise. Tatum is reprising the role ofGambit inAvengers: Doomsday, but there are hopes that a comic-accurate version of the energy-wielding hero will appear in the MCU’s futureX-Menstories.
5Apocalypse
Oscar Isaac Played Apocalypse In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
En Sabah Nur is one of the X-Men’s most powerful, threatening and long-running villains in Marvel Comics, but this did not translate whatsoever into Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of the incomparable Apocalypse. Marvel Comics’Apocalypse is a mutant enhanced with technology from the Celestials who even has connections to Kang the Conqueror, having met during Kang’s time ruling Ancient Egypt as Rama-Tut.Apocalypse has acquired many significant powersover his long life, so it would be great to see some of these brought to the forefront in the MCU.
Oscar Isaac currently plays Marc Spector’s Moon Knight in the MCU, and has also taken on the role of Miguel O’Hara’s Spider-Man 2099 in Sony’s animatedSpider-Versefranchise, crossing the boundaries of many Marvel universes.
Oscar Isaac’s depiction of Apocalypse was not exactly comic-accurate and rendered the villain little more than a vulturous mutant who stole others’ powers.X-Men ‘97season 2 is expected to make Apocalypse a powerful threat to Marvel’s animated X-Men team, but it would be great to see him get this treatment in the live-action MCU, too.Apocalypse could become a long-running and ever-present foeto the MCU’s new X-Men team, especially given his prominence in Marvel Comics’ history and possibly in the history of the MCU, too.
4Warren Worthington III’s Angel
Ben Foster & Ben Hardy Played Angel In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
As a founding member of Marvel Comics’ X-Men team back in 1963,Angel is perhaps one of the most important mutants ever to appear in the Marvel Universe. You never would have guessed that based on his evolution in 20th Century Fox’sX-Menfranchise, however, as Warren Worthingon III was severely neglected and almost completely ignored. Ben Foster playedAngel briefly inX-Men: The Last Stand, while Ben Hardy took on the role as a Horseman of the titular villain inX-Men: Apocalypse, but neither captured exactly what makes Angel such a fantastic hero.
Angel has had some incredible stories in Marvel Comics, particularly those where he became Archangel or teamed up with fellowfounding X-Men member Iceman. Unfortunately, Fox barely scratched the surface of Angel’s history and development, which was a dire shame, and should be rectified in the MCU.It would be brilliant to see a faithful interpretation of Marvel’s original X-Men team brought into the MCU, which could finally see Angel become a core part of the X-Men team and one of the MCU’s most important, powerful and beloved superheroes.
3Kitty Pryde’s Shadowcat
Sumela Kay, Katie Stuart & Elliot Page Played Shadowcat In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
After making a series of cameo appearances, Kitty Pryde was finally portrayed by Elliot Page in Fox’sX-Menfranchise, and while this performance was solid, a lot of Pryde’s Marvel Comics history and personality was lost. Instead,Page’s Kitty Pryde was nothing more than Bobby Drake’s new possible love interest and a spanner in the works of his relationship with Rogue. Anything that made Marvel Comics' Shadowcat unique and interesting was removed, but the MCU has the perfect opportunity to change this completely.
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Elliot Page
Shadowcat has been among one of the first names reported to be recast for the MCU, which suggests that Marvel Studios might give Kitty Pryde a much more substantial role in the MCU.Elliot Page’s version of the phasing hero was passable, but never had that much to do, and contributed to one ofX-Men: The Last Stand’smost embarrassing momentsalongside the Juggernaut. It’s high timeShadowcat got reinvented for the MCU, andThe Fabelmans’Julia Butters, who has been suggested for the role, would be a fantastic choice.
2Rogue
Anna Paquin Played Rogue In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
One of the most noticeable casualties of Fox’sX-Menfranchise veering away from the Marvel Comics backstories and designs of many characters was Rogue, who was hardly the supremely powerful villain-turned-hero from the comics when brought to live-action.Anna Paquin’s Rogue was stripped of anything that made her exciting and entertaining to watch, leaving behind just a whiny teenager that didn’t have much to do beyond fall in love with Iceman - a theme is forming here.Marvel Studios needs to reinvent Rogue completelyfor her official MCU debut.
Rogue was the adoptive daughter of Mystique in Marvel Comics who turned her back on a life of villainy afterstealing Captain Marvel’s powersand become a steadfast hero and crucial member of the X-Men. This entire arc was highlighted perfectly inX-Men: The Animated Series, but Fox’s live-action Marvel movies missed the mark time and again.It would be brilliant to see a comic-accurate Southern version of Rogue in the MCU, perhaps following in the footsteps of herX-Men ‘97counterpart, and not the disappointing interpretation of Rogue from Fox’sX-Menfranchise.
1Scott Summers’ Cyclops
James Marsden & Tye Sheridan Played Cyclops In Fox’s X-Men Franchise
Perhaps the biggest victim of 20th Century Fox wasting some of its most important X-Men characters was Scott Summers’ Cyclops. Portrayed by James Marsden in the classic trilogy and Tye Sheridan in the revised timeline, Cyclops should have been a cornerstone of Fox’sX-Menfranchise. This was not the case, however, soone of Marvel’s most significant, powerful and potential-filled X-Men heroes was ignored, wasted and, eventually, killed off.Cyclops' treatment by 20th Century Foxhas been a huge point of contention for years, so Marvel Studios needs to do better.
James Marsden will be returning as Scott Summers' Cyclops inAvengers: Doomsdayalongside other returningX-Menfranchise actors Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and, fromDeadpool & Wolverine, Channing Tatum.
Cyclops is one of the most notable X-Men characters in Marvel Comics' history.He was a founding member of the X-Men, one of the team’s most powerful members, their field leader and eventually the team leader altogether. He was involved in some of Marvel’s biggest and most game-changing storylines, and has been the subject of scandal, controversy and romantic trysts over and over, but Fox neglected to make him the least bit interesting. Cyclops is perhaps Fox’s biggest failure, but the upcomingX-Menreboot for the MCU is said to be recreating him straight away, which is incredibly exciting.
