It has been a big deal this week that Disney has acquired 21st Century Fox. With it means that the last of the Marvel franchises are able to be in the Marvel Studios house. But, what does that really mean for the future of Marvel movies?
Marvel Characters We’re Talking About
Which Marvel characters are going to be able to be in the MCU? In a summary, it’s the whole of the X-Men group and the whole of the Fantastic Four group.
More specifically, any characters in the X-Men film universe, which is now expanded into television, can be part of the MCU. It includes Legion, Gifted, and even Deadpool. More importantly the likes of Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Magneto, and Professor X can be paired with the Avengers. I really can’t get into every single character that this will provide because it could certainly be its own comics company by itself. There are so many mutants and so little time…or space in this post.
With Fantastic Four, there are the family of four and Dr. Doom. But, there are a lot of characters that aren’t that famous, but will provide some great additions to the movies. Kang is a time traveling villain that has plagued the Avengers as well. Silver Surfer is another that did star in a movie, but it wasn’t too popular. In that one is a huge villain known as Galactus. A dimension hopping villain known as Annihilus has plagued the Fantastic team and other Marvel heroes as well.
Mole Man is another Fantastic Four villain. He’s not to be confused with the Underminer from the end of Incredibles. Maybe Mole Man and the Underminer can team up in a Fantastic Four/Incredibles team up film! Ok, that might be too far.
So, X-Men in Marvel Movies Now?
The big buzz is that the X-Men will be in Marvel films very soon. But, I think we’re a little ways off. There are two X-Men universe films, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and New Mutants, that Fox started before there were even talks of being sold and will be in theaters soon. Deadpool 2 is coming out shortly after that. Gambit is another one that is being developed. Then there’s the television series that are around and successes right now. That, to me, means it will be a while before we see mutants teaming up with Spider-Man and Iron Man.
But, because it will take a while it means that Marvel Studios as the variety to work with for a few decades. There are so many stories to tell with characters we’ve seen already, yet to see, and teaming with the X-Men.
One possibility is that they will introduce one or two current characters as already being mutants without us knowing. Scarlet Witch is a mutant in the comics, but isn’t stated as one in the films. She supposedly has her powers given by Hydra experiments, but it can easily be retconned as the experiments unlocked the genetic powers.
So, Fantastic Four in Marvel Movies Now?
The Fantastic team is the more likely candidates for Marvel Studios appearances. The Fox films have done poorly. There’s not as many characters to work in. And, we are going to already see a major Fantastic Four villain(s) in Captain Marvel. Yes, the Skrulls were the first to combat the Fantastic Four. And they clashed many times
over. It doesn’t mean it will be immediately, but with Marvel films approaching space more and more it seems appropriate that a family who received their powers from cosmic rays would appear in the next few years.
Villains from Fantastic Four are ones that have appeared in a lot of big stories in the Marvel Comics universe and that means we could see them pop up in the next few years also. Galactus is a giant space being. Dr. Doom has literally been an evil god over the whole Marvel universe. These guys are huge, not just in physical size. Dr. Doom has also recently taken up the Iron Man mantle as a hero. I know that’s confusing, but all I want to say is that it means possibilities are endless for films just with the Fantastic Four.
What Could We See?
My geeky mind goes nuts with the Fox acquisition. Like I keep saying, there are so many possibilities that it’s hard to highlight a few. But, I’d like to try to whet your appetite as well…
Avengers Vs. X-Men
A recently major story in the Marvel Comics universe had the Avengers combat the X-Men because the mutants wanted to allow the Phoenix force to help create more mutants. Why is that a big deal? Well, the mutants are an endangered species of humans, and the Phoenix force is very chaotic and powerful. It’s destroyed planets. Not something you want to have around. It could be a big story arc for a future phase of Marvel movies. The Avengers want to reign in the Phoenix force, the X-Men want it to roam free. Battles ensue, and a major character is killed. I won’t spoil who in case you want to read the comics.
Uncanny Avengers
Spinning out of the entanglements of mutants vs. Avengers, a “unity squad” was formed from Avengers heroes and X-Men. Among the prominent ones were Captain America, Thor, Rogue, and Scarlet Witch (who is a mutant in the comics). There was a lot of conflict on the team because of age old stereotypes and mutants feeling like not enough is done for their rights. You think you’ve seen team trouble in Civil War? It’s nothing compared to this comic series.
Inhumans Vs. X-Men
As the X-Men get closer to extinction, the terrigen mist of the Inhumans plays a factor in that. It pitted the two human species groups in a war over extinguishing a floating terrigen cloud that could kill mutants in an instant, transform Inhuman humans, and leave regular humans alone (although in the television series it kills humans also). It was a conflict that set the stage for how we know the Marvel mutants and Inhumans now.
Star Lord and Kitty Pryde
Not that it could be a whole movie, but one couple that I’d like to see out of the crossovers would be Star Lord and Shadowcat. I know, I know. Peter Quill and Gamora are a thing. But, in the comics the Quill/Pryde romance was a fun one that ended up having Shadowcat lead the Guardians of the Galaxy. She’s a super tough, no-nonsense mutant. Quill is a laid back, silly mercenary. It could even be a sitcom if Marvel wants to find a way to go that route.
Evil Mr. Fantastic
In the side Marvel universe known as the Ultimate universe, Mr. Fantastic started as a hero and ended as a villain. Under the villain form he’s known as The Maker, and is a super smart mad scientist that still has elastic powers. He makes schemes that ended up decimating the Ultimate universe, killing off some characters. He made his way over to the main Marvel universe through another event…
Secret Wars
A recent huge storyline that helped reset the Marvel Comics universe had Dr. Doom become a god. He created a bizarre world of several alternate universes. There were countries that consisted of zombie versions of Marvel characters, while next door was a medieval hero setting. It helped to bring some of the Ultimate characters into the main universe, like Miles Morales and The Maker. Though I think this would be a way down the line film arc, it would be a way to reboot the entire Marvel movie franchises.
Comics!
Like I said, I could go on and on about potential. Before it was going to be tricky and hard for Marvel films to tap into the full comics library. Now the sky’s the limit! So, I highly suggest getting a subscription to Marvel Unlimited, the digital app library, and taking a look at all of Marvel Comics. One of your favorites could be on the big screen within the next few years!
But, what do you think about incorporating the Fox Marvel family into the full Marvel Studios family? Let us know in the comments below!
