Fox's X-Men characters, Professor X and Magneto, could finally see their stories come to an end in the MCU's Phase 6's Deadpool 3. Deadpool 3 will mark the first appearance of characters from Fox's X-Men franchise, as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman will be reprising their roles of Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, and Logan Howlett, a.k.a. Wolverine, in the MCU's project. With rumors of the TVA's involvement in Deadpool 3's storyline, the third adventure for Reynolds' Merc With A Mouth is set to fit perfectly into the MCU's Multiverse Saga, and will finally bring closure to Fox's now-defunct superhero series.
Until now, Marvel Studios' integration of mutants into the MCU has been slow and steady, but Deadpool 3 will officially merge an array of mutants into the MCU proper, making the move from Fox's X-Men franchise. While MCU characters such as Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, and Namor have been confirmed to be mutants, there are still questions about how Marvel Studios will bring together the MCU's team of X-Men. A new tease from X-Men veteran Patrick Stewart seems to suggest that Fox's X-Men have a few more stories to tell before the MCU's new mutants can develop.
Fox’s Professor X & Magneto Could Return In Deadpool 3
Despite both he and Hugh Jackman apparently retiring their superhero roles after the 2017 release of Logan, Patrick Stewart teased in an interview with Patrick Stewart's return to the MCU, but his recent comments could suggest a potential X-Men reunion in Deadpool 3.
These comments have been given more weight after Stewart spoke to Entertainment Tonight in the lead up to the third season of Star Trek: Picard, in which he mentioned that he and Sir Ian McKellen, who portrayed Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto, in Fox's X-Men films are "not done," and have "got plans." Stewart and McKellen were previously seen performing opposite each other as Professor X and Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past, but their characters didn't really get any resolution before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019. However, Deadpool 3 could see the pair returning for one last ride in the world of superhero movies.
How Can Deadpool 3 Give The Fox X-Men Franchise A Satisfying Ending?
Despite having a strong start with 2000's X-Men, and producing some strong projects such as X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, and Logan, Fox's X-Men film series fizzled out with the releases of X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants, marking a sorry end for the franchise. However, Patrick Stewart's recent comments could suggest that some of the key players from Fox's franchise could be revived for one last adventure in Deadpool 3, following the news that Jackman would be reprising his role alongside Reynolds. An X-Men reunion in Deadpool 3 could be the perfect plan to bring the old franchise's stories to a satisfying ending.
The perfect ending for Fox's X-Men franchise might be hiding in plain sight, thanks to the MCU's introduction of the idea of incursions. An incursion occurs when two universes collide, destroying one or the other, which became a prominent threat in the MCU's Phase 4, and will continue to develop as a concept as the Multiverse Saga continues. If an incursion were to happen between Fox's X-Men universe and the MCU, this might provide the perfect excuse for Marvel Studios to finally close the book on Fox's stories, but not before saying a proper farewell to iconic characters such as Professor X, Magneto, and Wolverine.
The MCU Needs A New Professor X & Magneto Story
There's no doubt that seeing Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen grace the big screen as Professor X and Magneto once again would be fantastic, but Marvel Studios must be scouting for new actors to fill these roles when the characters are introduced into the MCU proper. This means that, whether the rumors of their return in Deadpool 3 are true or not, the MCU's Phase 6 should be the final chapter in Stewart and McKellen's superhero books. Professor X and Magneto have an incredibly fruitful dynamic in Marvel Comics, which translated perfectly to screen with Stewart and McKellen's performances, but new stories need to be told in the MCU.
New actors could reinvent these roles, honoring Stewart and McKellen's previous portrayals of the characters while taking them in different directions than Fox demonstrated. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender pulled this off to perfection when they debuted as younger versions of Professor X and Magneto in X-Men: First Class, so seeing new actors bring potentially unseen X-Men storylines to life in the MCU would be brilliant. Stewart and McKellen certainly deserve a proper ending to their characters in Deadpool 3, but afterward, Marvel Studios should move on, and take huge strides in integrating these exciting X-Men roles into the established MCU.
