The X-Men are making their debut in the MCU soon. Deadpool 3, starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds as the titular Merc with a Mouth, will be the first feature-length appearance of the mutants within the MCU.
While Sir Patrick Stewart and Kelsey Grammer have appeared in the films already (the former even had an extended cameo), Kevin Feige seems not to consider these as the official debut of the X-Men. The producer has stated that no X-Men will appear in the What If…? animated series until they are formally introduced in the live-action films, which has rubbed fans the wrong way.
Fans are not pleased with Kevin Feige’s approach to the X-Men
The X-Men have been a team that fans have been waiting for to join the MCU. However, thanks to Feige’s comments on the matter, fans are a little miffed about things as they stand. What If…?, which looks at alternate realities, has failed to include any X-Men (or any mutant) at all in its stories, something that has broken the illusion of the multiverse for the fans. The internet is filled with frustrated comments about the nature of this decision.
Kevin Feige is pissing me off.
Literally everyone just wants the X-men back and he’s doing everything but.
All these d-list characters getting movies and shows are only adding to Super Hero fatigue.
— Cell (@DekuFinalFlash) January 9, 2024
Makes sense…. But….. C’MON!
— Matt Jarbo (@mjarbo) January 9, 2024
Disney has to make the most our of every franchise at this point. lol
— Dadicus (@Dadicus_K) January 9, 2024
Prediction: Deadpool 3 is going to be the test audience and based on the reaction what happens next for the franchise
— Tripp (@lifeisatripp) January 10, 2024
“What if the X-Men movies were under a different company who doesn’t care about comic books?”
— the World’s Greatest Narcissist (@JAMnit_JAM) January 10, 2024
That’s why they’re taking L’s now 😤
— Artsy Blazer (@artsyblazer) January 10, 2024
While the X-Men have already made their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are frustrated with the amount of time that has passed since their acquisition. As the X-Men are now officially Disney’s property, fans had assumed that they would be making their debut only a couple of years later. Fox completed its deal with Disney way back in 2019, and fans expected to see the X-Men in full force by 2021. However, 5 years hence, the X-Men are yet to have a feature debut, with Deadpool 3 serving as an entourage for the IP.
The X-Men might re-focus the MCU
The previous iteration of the Avengers allowed for a unified vision for the MCU, allowing creatives to create stories that felt cohesive and well-made. However, in the wake of their being indisposed, the newer iteration of heroes has been pulled in too many directions, making it difficult for fans to follow whatever plans Marvel has put in place or teased.
With the introduction of the X-Men, the MCU would have a unified vision again, working towards an endpoint that would give the overarching narrative of the franchise a direction. This would not only bring back fans who were enamored by the first few phases of the MCU, but it would also restore trust in the brand going forward.
