Marvel has been through a lot of ups and downs post-Endgame. After a series of bombs at the box office, things are finally looking hopeful for the comic book giant after taking a back-to-basics approach. Bringing back the beloved X-Men cartoon from the 1990s was a slick move, as it brought back a lot of fans who had lost faith after consecutive failures like The Marvels and She-Hulk.
Every Marvel project lies in an interconnected web of possibilities, like the time we saw three versions of Spider-Men unite in Spider-Man: No Way Home. One of these threads might also link The Marvels to X-Men ’97, two sagas that lie at opposite ends of audience reception.
How is Marvel’s most successful animation connected with its biggest bomb? Let’s have a look.
The Marvels post-credit scene might be the window to X-Men ’97
The Brie Larson-led The Marvels is infamous for being the biggest flop of the MCU. It confirmed the fact that the studio no longer retains its Midas touch. However, even with all the criticism and losses surrounding the film, it had a silver lining – the informal introduction of mutants.
During the post-credit scene of The Marvels, we see Monica Rambeau getting stuck in an alternate dimension, where she opens her eyes to Kelsey Grammer’s Beast along with Maria Rambeau. And not just that, Beast namedrops Professor X, confirming his presence as well.
Since two of the leading X-Men are already mentioned in this dimension, we can safely assume mutants do exist in their world. There might even be a possibility that this dimension can also be the home to X-Men ’97.
How plausible is X-Men ’97’s MCU connection?
The attempts at integrating the X-Men with the current MCU increased ever since Avengers: Endgame, as a number of OG Avengers, including the trinity, are no longer there. Marvel needs a new team of heroes that already has an established fanbase, to fast-track their way to redemption. And the X-Men seem to be a very plausible choice.
![Deadpool & Wolverine [Credit Marvel Studios]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/23124025/Deadpool-Wolverine-Credit-Marvel-Studios.jpeg)
Moreover, the connections are already there: X-Men frequently collaborate with other superheroes, which was seen in ‘97 and will also likely be seen in Deadpool & Wolverine, hence the presence of Maria Rambeau in The Marvels’ post-credits scene. Professor X is back from the dead in X-Men ’97, hence Beast talks about giving him a report. And DP3 might be the thread that binds them all. Kevin Feige too wanted X-Men ’97 to tie into the MCU, and The Marvels could be one of those tether points.
However, these are just theories, and nothing is set in stone, yet. We can only hope and wait for The Marvels’ tease to turn into something useful.
X-Men ’97 and The Marvels are streaming on Disney+.
