Summary

• The MCU's official X-Men team is expected to debut soon, and I think the group's original line-up from Marvel Comics could be the best roster.
• None of Marvel's original X-Men team got the justice they deserved in Fox's live-action X-Men franchise, which can be rectified in the MCU.
• The X-Men's original line-up doesn't include Wolverine, which will leave more space for other mutants to be developed in the MCU.

My dream version of Marvel Studios' first mutant superhero team in the MCU's official X-Men team making its debut has me very excited, but only as long as Marvel Studios gets the team's first line-up right.

The X-Men team have gone through several incarnations in both Marvel Comics and Fox's live-action franchise. In the latter, the X-Men's debut in the MCU.

Marvel’s Original X-Men Line-Up Was A Very Strong Version Of The Team

Marvel Comics' X-Men Team First Appeared In 1963's The X-Men #1

There has been some discussion about which mutants should be included in the first version of the MCU's X-Men team. There are many powerful and exciting mutants in Marvel Comics to choose from, but I am of the opinion that Marvel Studios should keep the team's first roster simple, introducing only six mutants - those who comprised the original X-Men team from Marvel Comics. This version of the team first appeared in 1963's The X-Men #1, kick-starting the team's long-running feud with Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants in a series of simple yet exhilarating adventures.

Debuting only this handful of mutants in the MCU's X-Men reboot would allow Marvel Studios to tell a more personal and intimate storyline. I'd love for this to focus on the key themes of the X-Men in Marvel Comics: racism, discrimination and the philosophical battle between good and evil. This would also make for a formidable line-up, as each of these heroes are supremely powerful. This roster has become legendary in Marvel Comics, so it would be fantastic for them to have the same level of fame and respect in the live-action MCU.

None Of The Original X-Men Got The Development They Deserved In Fox’s X-Men Franchise

20th Century Fox Wasted Some Of Marvel's Most Powerful & Most Popular X-Men

Some may turn their nose up at the prospect of the MCU's first X-Men team being comprised of only these six heroes - five as Professor X takes a behind the scenes role in Marvel Comics. However, I think this could actually be the best choice for Marvel Studios, since none of these heroes got the development they deserved in 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise. Fox sidelined some of the most significant mutants in Marvel history in its live-action movies, particularly the likes of Iceman and Angel, who saw very little attention and growth.

Even the bigger names, like Cyclops and Jean Grey, were wasted. James Marsden's Scott Summers was unceremoniously killed off in X-Men: The Last Stand, and was confined to a simple and boring love-triangle storyline beforehand, while both Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner's Jean Greys were taken out of play in lackluster adaptations of Marvel's Dark Phoenix Saga. Only Professor X and Beast saw any meaningful development, but even these could have been taken further, so I'd love to see Marvel Studios finally do all these characters justice.

Wolverine’s Absence Would Leave Space For New Stories In The MCU’s X-Men Reboot

Hugh Jackman Has Played Wolverine In Ten Live-Action Movies Spanning Over Two Decades

Most crucially, my dream line-up for the MCU's X-Men team doesn't include James "Logan" Howlett's Wolverine. Don't get me wrong, I love Wolverine as a character, and Hugh Jackman's long-running portrayal of the clawed mutant has filled me with joy for many years. However, it was Wolverine's prominence in Fox's X-Men franchise that meant other notable heroes went unnoticed and ignored, so I think it would be a great idea to omit him from the first X-Men team in the MCU, allowing other mutants to get some attention.

Wolverine didn't the X-Men until 1975's Giant-Size X-Men #1, after he'd already had dealings with Sabretooth, fought alongside Captain America in World War II, settled and married in Japan, ed Team X, been enhanced with adamantium, and battled the Hulk. I think this rich history deserves to be seen independently of the X-Men, allowing the backstories of other mutants to be explored in greater detail. Hugh Jackman is leaving big shoes to fill, so Marvel Studios shouldn't rush to recast Wolverine for X-Men, and should instead focus on developing a more stripped-back roster of powerful heroes.

MCU Movies

• Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date

  February 14, 2025

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• Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  May 2, 2025

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• The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  July 25, 2025

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• Blade (2025)

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• Avengers: Doomsday

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• Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  December 17, 2027

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