Marvel Films MCU X-Men - Part 4

[KRYPTON INC.]

I HATE the time jumps in the FC series (and I am not too fond of the Endgame 5 year jump either), but I will allow for one in the MCU reboot to get the original team onscreen, if only for an opening sequence.

We get a classic battle between the high school aged X-Men vs Magneto and the Brotherhood. Then we reconnect with the original five, with Scott and Jean reopening a small school (no mansion yet) and recruiting a new class of superpowered youngins. The focus would be on the power couple and a half dozen kids (maybe a dozen kids in total?), with the other 3 original X-Men in supporting roles. I'm thinking Warren is funding this new venture.

My villain would be Emma and her Massachusetts Academy. And her Hellions, all funded by the Hellfire Club. Slobs vs snobs high school conflict with high octane superhero battles! Do we get a potential budding romance between rival students? Yes! A baseball game between schools? Yes again! Is Emma flirty with Scott? What do you think? Yes! Will we watch the young students grow up on screen ala Harry Potter? Yes indeedy!

See... I wanna actually see the founding team as honest to God students and see how their training and relationship with Charles actually affects them as characters. Jumping from teens to being old enough to run the school skips years and years of development. It feels like where we met Jean and Scott in the Fox films. Granted sure, I expect them to be better defined in the MCU (At least... I hope... I don't drink the Kool Aid in terms of Marvel Studios unimpeachable excellence in all things...) but having them be already graduates running things the other three as supporting staff AND then at least, what, three to four younger Mutants to also give some depth to... plus ancillary characters and whomever the villain or villains are? I think that's a lot to juggle. And a lot of what made these people who they are just happened off screen?

Not sure how that would turn out.

I do like the idea of Frost and her students, as that is a change up but still works on the idea of what Charles' approach is as compared to those that would give life lessons that Mutants are just gonna do as they please without concerns for the wider world.

I will say... I have a strong feeling that there won't ever be any kind of Emma/Scott material in the MCU. Given the track record they likely would go with more Classic and known to the wider audience material. I am betting that if Emma shows up she will be a straight up villain without a hint of even the possibility of a relationship with Scott. She will be a layered character (hopefully) but I reckon they won't go super soap opera until or if Logan gets into the mix.

Given how the MCU didn't sprawl all over every nook and cranny of lore and history available for adaptation with what's already been produced in 11 years I think we need to temper just how much they will put on the table. Expecting say, a series where we see Scott with Jean, the turn to Phoenix, Jean's death, Scott ending up with Emma, Casandra Nova, Mr. Sinister's Summers family obsessions, Xorn, Cable, The New Mutants, then The New Mutants changing to X-Force etc. etc. etc... It won't get that crazy.

Yeah... We definitely will get characters and concepts that never made it to the screen in 19 years of the Fox continuity. But I think we have to really be conservative with this. Even if they made a dedicated effort to put out four Mutant based film franchises (Which... I don't see happening overnight, because Marvel Studios will have other characters outside the Mutants they will develop and exploit as well let us remember so getting to even three simultaneous running Mutant based franchises in the MCU might already be pushing it over the line...) for example an Uncanny X-Men series, a Wolverine solo series, New Mutants/X-Force and maybe... I don't know... X-Factor? That's still doing stories within the frame work of two hour chunks every two to three years. They aren't capable of getting to every last morsel of comic book history to adapt. That's not been the track record of the MCU so far with nine different franchises. They picked chose what elements to bring in all towards the end of fitting it all in with the context of their mega arc, all while also making adjustments along the way obviously. Even after a hypothetical ten year run let's say of MCU Mutant films I don't expect Phoenix/Dark Phoenix, Hellfire Club, Proteus, Legion, Shadow King, Muir Island Saga, Fall Of The Mutants, Inferno, Casandra Nova, Xorn, Sentinels, Mystique/Destiny Brotherhood, Magneto, Polaris, Haxok and on and on...

Some of those things will happen... but not all and there will be gigantic trade offs in precisely how what gets chosen to get adapted will be done on the big screen. Want the audience to be truly invested in Scott and Jean's relationship and bond on a deep level? Well that probably pushes any Scott and Emma stuff off the table. Wanna see the Rogue, Destiny and Nightcrawler story play out? That might mean not having Colossus and Magik's history from the comics get any play at all. There is gonna be limits and just because suddenly Marvel Studios is handling the X-Men the limits of movies, especially making good movies and not just pumping out garbage, doesn't go away.

We will see lots of great material and concepts but if people are expecting the Blue and Gold teams, and Beak and the Stepford Cuckoos as just a given... I think that's asking for too much and setting oneself up for disappointment.

 

[Bayne]

I'm not going to say this is the greatest possible way to introduce the new X-men and I'll be terribly disappointed if it doesn't happen or anything, but I happened to be reading X-Men vs. the Brood this morning and it actually struck me how much that concept really could work as a first MCU X-men film.

I'd combine it with the previous southwest Brood story so that you have a whole nest of brood to really establish why they're terrifying combined with Hannah Connover and her broodlings proving that they don't have to be that way. Probably just have the evil brood replace the Firstborn in the story to avoid any interstellar clunkiness and have the X-men (a mix of different generations as the original MCU class) be relatively new but not totally green. Have them stumble onto everything by looking for mutants in need Maybe even throw in the classic Wolverine arc from the original Brood saga to really play up the terror. And center the whole thing on this rich moral dilemma - can we allow the killing of these 'innocent' people who've been infected and clearly are gone? Can we afford not to kill these other infected people even if they look like they might beat the odds?

It'd be the perfect mix of uniquely terrifying action, the down to earth grittiness people will tend to expect from the X-Men, the off-the-wall sci-fi stuff Marvel will definitely want to add to differentiate themselves from Fox and the central core of defending life even when it seems impossible and costs you dearly.

I can even picture the movie ending on Reverend Connover's sermon about brotherhood and humanity shared between all people as the perfect set-up to Marvel's take on the mandatory Mutant Problem as still being this important foundation of the series, but being viewed from different angles including maybe some human allies along the way. You could even bring Connover back in later films as an outside foil for someone like Graydon Creed.

 

[sleekstereo]

I'm honestly hoping they'll kill Wanda off in this next phase.

They have more interesting female characters now to focus on.

 

[Lip]

They have more interesting female characters now to focus on.

That's not a good reason to kill her off.

Marvel has a big problem with lack of female characters. Killing them off is not going to make things better.

 

[Dark Raven]

I'm honestly hoping they'll kill Wanda off in this next phase.

They have more interesting female characters now to focus on.

I'm hoping they'll kill off some of the other female characters so they can focus on Wanda!

 

[Iceman]

So focus only comes through mass murder, cool.

 

[Dark Raven]

So focus only comes through mass murder, cool.

Well, if they use a giant magnifying glass to do the deed!

 

[Xeno]

How do you distinguish Jean's powers from Wanda's?

After Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey is rather toxic. Marvel should let her rest in peace when the franchise is rebooted. Put the focus on Storm and the myriad other female mutants instead of going back to that poisoned well again. Jean and her massive psychological problems can rise from the ashes (again) in a decade or so.

 

[Marvel united]

After Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey is rather toxic. Marvel should let her rest in peace when the franchise is rebooted. Put the focus on Storm and the myriad other female mutants instead of going back to that poisoned well again. Jean and her massive psychological problems can rise from the ashes (again) in a decade or so.

The Phoenix is toxic, not Jean Grey. Just because that's her most popular story does not mean there aren't countless others for them to explore in the MCU. When you reboot the X-Men, the bare essentials need to be established -- Jean is one of them. She's not interchangeable with Storm or any other female telepath. That's like doing Future Foundation instead of Fantastic Four because their brand is toxic. They just need to distance the MCU version of Jean from that story and focus on her as a character first and foremost.

 

[Phoenix_Flare]

You know what would be dope if Marvel puts out a limited character focus series on Disney+. Similar to how MK:Legacy on YouTube each episode would introduce a certain X-Man, that way we would get their backstory before Xavier found them and eventually they all end up at the mansion. This could go for about two seasons that would culminate in their first movie under the MCU. There’s a chance in a Storm focus episode you can introduce Shadow King and her being worshipped as a goddess. Professor Xavier would be in each episode in a minor role.

This would be cool because you won’t have to spend time on each characters origin and just focus on them being a teammates and the larger part of the plot of mutant hysteria.

 

[sleekstereo]

The Phoenix is toxic, not Jean Grey. Just because that's her most popular story does not mean there aren't countless others for them to explore in the MCU. When you reboot the X-Men, the bare essentials need to be established -- Jean is one of them. She's not interchangeable with Storm or any other female telepath. That's like doing Future Foundation instead of Fantastic Four because their brand is toxic. They just need to distance the MCU version of Jean from that story and focus on her as a character first and foremost.

Totally agree. You can have Jean Grey and not do the Phoenix story for another 10 - 15 years. You know, like Fox should have done two times now.

Jean is more than just the Phoenix.

 

[Abudefduf]

I don't like that we're having this discussion. Because of Dark Phoenix, I'm now afraid that Marvel will go all Spider-Man Homecoming on the X-Men.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

That's exactly what they'll do. Imo.

 

[Lip]

The vast majority of the X-Men characters have been just decorationn in the FOX movies. There's a massive amount of potential and opportunity for those characters to be 100% fresh in the MCU.

I can see them taking a break from Eric and Charles, and maybe even Logan. But the rest? I don't see Marvel not using them just because they appeared in some capacity before.

 

[Detective Conan]

I don't like that we're having this discussion. Because of Dark Phoenix, I'm now afraid that Marvel will go all Spider-Man Homecoming on the X-Men.

Eh...X-Men is different in nature from Spider-Man so I’m not too sure Marvel will pull off the same thing with X-Men.

I think ideally an X-Men film should be a cross between Black Panther and Winter Solider in which you can have the fantastical sci-fi concepts along with the more thoughtful topical commentary about prejudice. There should be weighty issues being confronted in the film but also some larger-than-life spectacle as well.

 

[Xeno]

The Phoenix is toxic, not Jean Grey. Just because that's her most popular story does not mean there aren't countless others for them to explore in the MCU. When you reboot the X-Men, the bare essentials need to be established -- Jean is one of them. She's not interchangeable with Storm or any other female telepath. That's like doing Future Foundation instead of Fantastic Four because their brand is toxic. They just need to distance the MCU version of Jean from that story and focus on her as a character first and foremost.

Jean is so closely linked to Dark Phoenix that it will be difficult if not impossible to separate the two. She needs a good, long rest before being reintroduced to the audience. As others have noted in this thread, there are literally dozens of interesting mutants who have yet to be given their due on-screen. Leaving Jean for later films would allow the creative team to bring those neglected heroines to the fore.

It's not as if Jean hasn't had plenty of on-screen time already. Over the last two decades she has featured prominently in five X-Men team films and one spinoff. The fact that DP was a bomb is not the character's fault, but it has definitely tainted her. Marvel should give people time to forget her past.

 

[Detective Conan]

Jean is so closely linked to Dark Phoenix that it will be difficult if not impossible to separate the two. She needs a good, long rest before being reintroduced to the audience. As others have noted in this thread, there are literally dozens of interesting mutants who have yet to be given their due on-screen. Leaving Jean for later films would allow the creative team to bring those neglected heroines to the fore.

It's not as if Jean hasn't had plenty of on-screen time already. Over the last two decades she has featured prominently in five X-Men team films and one spinoff. The fact that DP was a bomb is not the character's fault, but it has definitely tainted her. Marvel should give people time to forget her past.

And let’s be honest she’s not exactly the most interesting female character out of the bunch. Save for a few occasions, she’s a generally a really boring character.

 

[Marvel united]

Jean is so closely linked to Dark Phoenix that it will be difficult if not impossible to separate the two. She needs a good, long rest before being reintroduced to the audience. As others have noted in this thread, there are literally dozens of interesting mutants who have yet to be given their due on-screen. Leaving Jean for later films would allow the creative team to bring those neglected heroines to the fore.

Jean is a founding member of the team and much her connection with X-Men comes from the fact that she was part of the original first class. If you're going to remove her from the established dyamic like that and have her be introduced a decade after the X-Men have been introduced, you may as just not use the charscter at all. You are also damaging Cyclops' character as well -- since Jean is essential to Scott's growth. Especially if this Is the X-Men's formative years. The only way the exclusion of Jean would work is if they introduced a veteran, seasoned team. That way Jean's significance could still be part of their history ala Janet in Ant-Man. But absolutely not for an X-Men team that are still young and fresh. Jean is essential to THAT period

Her being in the movie doesn't preclude Marvel from giving a platform to other female characters. It's an ensemble cast of characters. Multiple people lead the narrative. Jean co-starring in X-Men comics with the aforementioned characters has never somehow stipulated focus or growth. In fact, it was part of it as Ororo has a sisterly bond with Jean which is another element Marvel can explore that Fox never did

It's not as if Jean hasn't had plenty of on-screen time already. Over the last two decades she has featured prominently in five X-Men team films and one spinoff.The fact that DP was a bomb is not the character's fault, but it has definitely tainted her. Marvel should give people time to forget her past.

They definitely should, by focusing on aspects not explored by Fox. By cementing the fact that Jean is more than just the Phoenix. Y'know, make people care about Jean Elaine Grey and not reduce her to nothing more than a vehicle; a conduit, to tell the same story over and over like Fox

 

[terry78]

Basically they turned her into a damsel even though she's supposed to be this bastion of strong girl power. The one female on the team and she can't control her own powers due to her emotions.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Denzel Washington as Professor Charles Xavier

Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Cyclops

Evan Rachel Wood as Jean Grey

DeWanda Wise as Storm

Chris Colfer as Iceman

Mena Massoud as Nightcrawler

Kelly Marie Tran as Jubilee

 

[Frankeh]

I definitely do not support giving Jean a rest. She was just reintroduced in 2016 (I don't count dream appearances or cameos) where she was a glorified guest star, and now she had the big role in Dark Phoenix. I don't think she's comparable to MJ or Gwen Stacy either, she should be comparable to Peter Parker, she's the Marvel Girl. The OG female X-Men. Her relationship with Cyclops is part of the heart of X-Men IMO.

 

[sleekstereo]

I think they are going to go young with the cast. 20 - 25 year olds.

 

[Xeno]

I definitely do not support giving Jean a rest. She was just reintroduced in 2016 (I don't count dream appearances or cameos) where she was a glorified guest star, and now she had the big role in Dark Phoenix. I don't think she's comparable to MJ or Gwen Stacy either, she should be comparable to Peter Parker, she's the Marvel Girl. The OG female X-Men. Her relationship with Cyclops is part of the heart of X-Men IMO.

But you're talking about the original X-Men. There have been many iterations of the team over time. For long stretches, Jean was "dead" and gone while the team managed perfectly well without her.

 

[psylockolussus]

I think they are going to go young with the cast. 20 - 25 year olds.

hopefully mid 20s to early 30s for the role of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Angel, Gambit, Colossus, Nightcrawler, the Beast, Polaris, Dazzler, White Queen, Bishop, Havok, Forge and Banshee.

Jubilee, Iceman and Shadowcat should be the younger ones.

 

[Frankeh]

But you're talking about the original X-Men. There have been many iterations of the team over time. For long stretches, Jean was "dead" and gone while the team managed perfectly well without her.

But we're talking about laying the very foundation of X-Men in the MCU. Their introduction. It doesn't seem right without her to me.