The introduction of Mutants to the MCU has been a long-debated topic among fans. In recent years, Mutant characters are slowly cropping up in the MCU with the likes of Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel and Namor addressed as such. However, Scarlet Witch’s Mutant origins were largely ignored in the MCU.
A new Marvel theory, ripped straight from the pages of comics, now suggests an alternate method to introduce mutants to the MCU. The theory also provides a way for the MCU to retcon Scarlet Witch’s origins and classify her as a mutant despite her use of pure magic. The Immortal X-Men #18 provides an interesting take on the origins of Mutants that might be an ideal way to introduce mutants to the MCU.
Marvel Theory Suggests a Magical Origin For Mutants in the MCU
The origins of the Mutants in the pages of Marvel Comics is a hotly debated topic with only partial and vague explanations provided to readers despite the characters existing for over half a century. It is mostly believed that the Mutant kind’s power stems from the X-gene, which itself is often explained with science fiction elements. However, in Immortal X-Men #18, the origin of X-Men is implied to have a magical origin.
In the issue, Mother Righteous claims that all Mutants are connected to The White Hot Room, which is a mystical realm in Marvel Comics connected to the concept of creation. Mother Righteous also states that any advanced mutation is indistinguishable from magic, implying that all Mutants are magical beings. As a result, assuming Mother Righteous is telling the truth, the Mutant kind’s origin has magical roots.
The same idea can be carried forward in the MCU, where the Mutants are yet to be fully introduced. While other superheroes in the MCU gain their powers from science fiction elements, the Mutants could be distinguished through their magical origins. In the MCU, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, and Namor’s powers have a cosmic origin. However, their origins could be retconned and linked to magic.
Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch Supports the Mutant Theory
The existence of Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and her chaos magic powers lend support to the theory that MCU’s Mutants could have a magical origin. In the comics, Wanda is primarily a mutant who is later transformed into a mutant sorceress.
In the MCU, Scarlet Witch was originally introduced with strong telepathic and telekinetic powers derived from experiments in which she was exposed to the Mind Stone. However, the MCU later changed this and confirmed that Wanda Maximoff was a powerful sorceress linked to chaos magic in the miniseries WandaVision.
Therefore, the MCU has already changed one prominent Mutant’s origins by linking Wanda to chaos magic. As a result, the evolution of Wanda in the MCU strongly suggests that the magical origin of Mutants could be a valid and simple explanation for their late introduction in the MCU.
Since magic has existed in the MCU since its earliest phases, it would be a convincing way to bring Mutants into the larger picture. At the same time, it would also allow the MCU to finally address Scarlet Witch’s mutant background. Moreover, the Mutants’ powers originating from magic could help the MCU to connect its cosmic and mystical side, where some of its strongest characters stem from.
