Marvel Comics has countless beloved characters on their pages, although some have been able to stand out as fan favorites. Chief among them are the X-Men, with the mutants framed as outsiders who are protecting the society that fears and hates them. Since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fandom has been patiently waiting for the X-Men to appear. This was made all the more possible with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox. And one former Disney artists has imagined what it might look like.
Disney and Fox's merger had big implication for the film world in general. But for comic book fans, the biggest question was how/when Fox characters like the Fantastic Four and X-Men might finally join the MCU. It appears that Marvel is going to take its time before bringing the scrappy group of mutants back to theaters, but one artist's rendering of how it might happen is enough to cause goosebumps for comic book enthusiasts. Check it out below.
from r/marvelstudios
I mean, come on. This image shows comic book accurate costumes for the X-Men, as well as the return of Wolverine. Now we'll just have to wait and see how the studio actually goes about bringing mutants to the massive shared universe.
This image comes to us from artist Jason Pastrana (via Reddit), who made some concept art showing how the X-Men might look from within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pastrana formerly worked as Disney's senior concept artist, so he knows the House of Mouse well. But he seems especially passionate about comic book adaptations, often crafting brilliant illustrations of long awaited comic book moments and crossovers. The above image is certainly no exception.
Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox was an exciting bit of intel for comic book fans, and the timing seemed to fit perfectly with where the MCU currently is. Phase Three ended with Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Avengers: Endgame provided an ending for some of the shared universe's biggest characters. Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow all received fitting conclusions to their stories, in addition to the previous death of Vision. And with Spider-Man departing the MCU thanks to Sony and Marvel's negotiations, new characters will be needed to fill out the shared universe.
The X-Men seem like a great choice for this purpose, as the mutant team typically featured plenty of fascinating characters. Each individual member of the team has their own traumas and struggles, so if the characters are properly serviced they should make for great storytelling. It might be a challenge to find the right director to balance an ensemble cast, but the mutants would seemingly fit in perfectly to the MCU.
Related: Kevin Feige Hints Marvel Phase 5 Will Bring In X-Men And Fantastic Four
This image also featured the return of Wolverine, who is finally rocking his iconic yellow and blue costume. Comic book fans waited for years to see that costume translated into live-action, but Hugh Jackman never suited up during his tenure in the franchise. The costumes in Fox's X-Men franchise were typically toned down, black, and made of leather. This was an attempt to give the team a more realistic look, despite fans hoping for the colorful costumes from the comics.
It's ultimately unclear if/when the X-Men will finally join the MCU. Fox's long running franchise only recently ended with Dark Phoenix, which is considered to be one of the weakest X-Men movies. There's nothing mutant-centric on the current slate of Phase Four, and Kevin Feige has expressed his interest in giving the characters some time off screen before rebooting them.
The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 1st, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
