Marvel Studios seems to be finally gearing up for a reboot of the X-Men. After Disney took over Fox in 2019, Marvel head Kevin Feige suggested the inclusion of X-Men and other mutant characters from Marvel Comics into the MCU. One thing that will set it apart from the 20th Century Fox franchise is that it will allow Wolverine to start his own journey in the MCU.
While Phase 4 brought Ms. Marvel and Namor as mutants, the company has yet to make any announcements regarding the X-Men. However, there have been reports that Marvel Studio will soon be considering pitches from writers for the planned X-Men reboot in the MCU. But that hasn’t stopped fans from coming up with their own theories for MCU’s Wolverine.
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Is MCU Looking For Another Winter Soldier In Wolverine?
According to a popular fan theory on Reddit, MCU’s take on Wolverine will be similar to the Winter Soldier arc. The theory suggests that The Weapon+ Program was introduced in The Incredible Hulk movie, which will eventually lead to Weapon-X (Weapon 10), known as Wolverine. According to the theory, MCU will showcase Bucky’s journey to confront and rescue Wolverine from this program.
This will allow Bucky to make peace with his own past, similar to how Natasha faced the Red Room or other MCU heroes confronting their dark past in the origin stories. This approach could be emotionally heavy, but it will also maintain the tough demeanor of both Bucky and Logan.
This film can have a similar tone as Captain America: The Winter Soldier and could serve as a direct sequel to the 2014 film. Similar to what happened to Bucky in The Winter Soldier, Logan’s mind and memories would be manipulated, turning him into a ruthless assassin.
The Super Soldier Program started in the 1940s, which led to the birth of the Hulk in the 2000s, as Banner was testing a preliminary version of the Weapon+ Program and decided to try it on himself. The same experiment eventually led to the emergence of the Abomination, which served as proof of concept for the creation of Banner’s Hulk.
Marvel Needs To Come With a Solid Explanation
If Marvel Studios plans on using a similar story arc for the new Wolverine, they will have to come up with a reasonable explanation for his existence on Earth without using the Multiverse theory.
Certainly, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, which will soon be seen in action in Deadpool 3, will be a version from the Multiverse. However, since Marvel is planning a soft reboot of the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars, the studio will require a more convincing rationale for the new Wolverine’s presence on Earth, one that doesn’t rely on the Multiverse theory.
Besides, Marvel could establish each X-Men member individually before bringing them together in a crossover project. This could be similar to their approach in Phase 1 of the MCU when they laid the groundwork for The Avengers. This means Wolverine could spend enough time in the MCU before joining forces with the X-Men and might not even be a founding member of the team, just like in Marvel Comics.
