X-MEN: 10 Heroes & Villains Marvel Studios Should Make A Priority In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

With mutants on their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we've decided to take a look at ten heroes and villains who should be a priority for Marvel Studios, as well as the role they could play here...

By JoshWilding - Aug 10, 2020 07:08 AM EST

Filed Under: X-Men

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be on hold right now thanks to COVID-19, but once things start up again, this shared world will go through some significant changes. A big part of that is thanks to the planned introduction of the X-Men and Fantastic Four, as the characters - acquired by Marvel Studios in the Disney/Fox merger - have the potential to be true game-changers.

In the case of those mutants, it's hard not to get excited about the possibilities they bring with them, but of the hundreds of them Kevin Feige now has access to, which of them should be a priority?

That's what we're taking a look at in this feature as we delve into the characters who were, quite honestly, screwed over by Fox while part of the X-Men Universe. Exploring what went wrong before and how that can be fixed, we also examine what they can now bring to this shared world.

So, to find out who made the cut, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button down below!

10. Sabretooth

We got a fleeting glimpse of Sabretooth's potential in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but that was sadly squandered, and he hasn't been seen since in Fox's underwhelming X-Men Universe.

Moving forward, it's hard to think of a better foe for the new Wolverine than this guy, and there are a lot of great comic book storylines which Marvel Studios could choose to address (them being related in any way should be forgotten, but the fact Victor visits Logan on his birthday each year to try and kill him would help make him a great recurring bad guy in the X-Men franchise).

Sabretooth just so happens to be the sort of bad guy who could pop up elsewhere too; just imagine him crossing paths with Black Panther in Wakanda or targeting the new Captain America; he has a huge amount of potential and deserves to be treated better in the MCU than he has in the past.

9. Nightcrawler

X2: X-Men United's opening scene was nothing if not memorable, and that movie's take on Nightcrawler was undeniably effective. Unfortunately, when he was brought back in X-Men: Apocalypse, he was completely underwhelming and one of that movie's (and Dark Phoenix's) most forgettable characters.

There's a lot that can be done both with his religious background and teleportation powers, while the fact Mystique is his mother should definitely be addressed (even if she's played out by now).

With a tragic start to life and an appearance that quite clearly singles him out as a mutant, Nightcrawler should be a focal point of the MCU, and someone who serves as the heart of this team.

8. Kate Pryde

Ellen Page made for a good Kitty Pryde, but the actress didn't have the best material to work with in X-Men: The Last Stand. Since then, the character has come on leaps and bounds in the comic books, and Shadowcat is now better known as Kate Pryde, a sign she's, well, grown up.

Whether it's leading the Marauders or using her phasing powers to stop a giant bullet from tearing the Earth in two, Kate is an amazing character, and one who deserves another chance.

Marvel Studios could introduce her as a teenager, and then follow her journey from that part of her life to being someone who helps lead the team. Delving into her history with the Hellfire Club would be no bad thing either, and there are tonnes of talented actresses who would be great for this role.

7. Emma Frost

In terms of appearance, January Jones was a perfect Emma Frost. She exuded the character's sexiness, but her performance was a little wooden, and this wasn't a comic accurate version.

Pitting the X-Men against the Hellfire Club is a must for the MCU, and the White Queen could easily show up there before undergoing some sort of redemption and joining the X-Men. Of course, both us and them wouldn't know whether she could be trusted, and that would make her slow seduction of Cyclops all the more intriguing (especially if she steals him from Jean).

An English accent is a must, as is delving into the dark history Grant Morrison established for the character in his New X-Men run as there's a lot more to this powerful psychic than meets the eye.

6. Sentinels

This isn't a single character, of course, but the Sentinels are in desperate need of being overhauled, and the MCU should be able to make up for what we saw in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

While the mutant-hunting robots were certainly formidable both in the past and future, but they didn't really share much in common with their comic book counterparts. Marvel Studios, however, would almost certainly head down a comic accurate route, with towering versions of these robots tracking the mutants (they could even be based on Tony Stark's Iron Legion).

Massive robots chasing down the MCU's mutants will go a long way in emphasising how under threat they are in this shared world, and it would be even better if, instead of Bolivar Trask, Bastion or Nimrod are in charge of them and trying to usher in a dire, desperate future for them.

5. Apocalypse

While it definitely appeared as if Fox was building to a big Mister Sinister reveal somewhere down the line after teasing the villain in movies like Logan and Deadpool 2, it's always been hard to say whether that was a coincidence or if the studio had some sort of grand plan (don't bank on it).

As much as Sinister needs to be introduced (and tied closely to the Summers family), it would be even more compelling to see a comic accurate version of Apocalypse enter the fray, especially if that kicks open the door to alternate timelines, time-travel, and a sci-fi vibe which fans of the X-Men will be all too familiar with...that's definitely possible now with the MCU's Multiverse!

Bryan Singer tried and failed to bring a satisfying version of En Sabah Nur to the big screen back in 2016, but a fresh take could see him easily become the big bad of not only the X-Men franchise but the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole, and that's an undeniably exciting prospect.

4. Wolverine

There's no getting around the fact that Wolverine has been overexposed both on the big screen and in the comic books for years now, but as great as Hugh Jackman was as Logan, it's hard to escape the feeling that we still haven't seen the definitive version of the clawed mutant on screen.

For starters, it's about damn time that he gets his suit, while there are so many elements of his history that Fox glossed over by obsessively returning to his time as Weapon X. There aren't really any characters like Wolverine in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as great as he is when he's with the X-Men, just imagine the hero crossing paths with Black Panther and Spider-Man"

The fact is, Wolverine is a character with an awful lot of box office potential and it could be Marvel Studios we ultimately have to thank for finally putting him on the same screen as Deadpool.

3. Onslaught

Onslaught was born from the minds of Professor X and Magneto, and is a nigh-omnipotent villain able to absorb powers from other mutants. Onslaught is mostly remembered for his part in the deaths of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk and Doctor Doom that led to the controversial "Heroes Reborn" reboot, but we wouldn't necessarily have to see that in the MCU.

Instead, after both Professor X and Magneto are rebooted for this shared world, it would be great to build to this merging and the creation of a new big bad who can take on, well, everyone.

Onslaught may be one of those lame 1990s villains, but he could very easily be reimagined in a way that makes him a legitimate threat. This isn't something Marvel Studios should rush into, but if this happens five or ten years from now, there's a chance the villain might help reboot the entire MCU!

2. Storm

While the possibility to make it happen is obviously there, it would be best for this version of Storm not to end up married to Black Panther as that always felt forced in the comic books.

However, exploring Ororo's African origins is a must and Marvel Studios should cast the role accordingly. There are ways she could be tied into T'Challa's world, of course, but Storm can easily stand on her own as a character and it would be great to see her step up and do more than summon the odd lightning bolt or to create some clouds when she's in a bad mood.

Storm is a great character and one of the Marvel Universe's most powerful mutants, and Marvel Studios now has the chance to portray her both as a leader and someone who is truly formidable.

1. Cyclops

While it's true that we've seen plenty of Cyclops over the past twenty years or so, an argument could be made that Fox never actually got the character right. James Marsden and Tye Sheridan were both well cast, but neither was given the opportunity to show what a great leader Scott Summers is and most of their screentime has been devoted to pining after Jean Grey.

From the very start, Bryan Singer made a point of emasculating Cyclops as soon as Wolverine showed up, and while Marvel Studios is bound to be aware of the importance this character holds to X-Men fans, there's sadly a risk that they'll feel he's been overexposed.

With any luck, though, he'll be given the chance to shine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and these movies will focus on his actual personality, including Scott's slightly darker side which has seen him align himself with Magneto in both the regular and Ultimate Marvel Universes over the years.

Jean Grey Rises From The Ashes In Her New Costume On PHOENIX #1 Variant Covers

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61 Comments

1 2

tmp3 - 8/10/2020, 7:15 AM

Mojo would be an interesting concept if they ever did a TV show in the X-verse.

bkmeijer2 - 8/10/2020, 7:16 AM

I just want to see all the original team members from the comics and if those are fleshed out enough, then I wanna see the those of the team after

DoubleD - 8/10/2020, 7:21 AM

Make Mine ROGUE!!!

Imfunnyhow - 8/10/2020, 7:23 AM

Its hard form me to even thing about this since we have no idea when theaters will be up and running. We haven't even been able to see Black Widow.

TheUnworthyThor - 8/10/2020, 7:25 AM

Mine would be:

Cyclops
Storm
Rogue
Jean Grey
Ice Man
Wolverine
Sentinels
Mister Sinister
Apocalypse

And Onslaught? Really?

GhostDog - 8/10/2020, 7:26 AM

Everyone on this list is VERY OBVIOUS. They should put emphasis on some who have been criminally underused or not used at all. Swap out someone like Wolverine who will may not see right away for someone who we've never seen, for the time being.

1. Jubliee

2. Forge

3. Marrow

Would love to see these three play big roles

WeaponXCII - 8/10/2020, 7:30 AM

Slightly off-topic, but anyone else see these videos? The guy has some interesting casting ideas.

Rosraf - 8/10/2020, 8:15 AM

@WeaponXCII - Those were some good casting suggestions for All New/All Different X-Men. Rami Malek as Nightcrawler would be fantastic.

WeaponXCII - 8/10/2020, 6:42 PM

@Rosraf - I'm not familiar with every actor he suggests, but almost all of his casting ideas seem good to amazing (though I would like a young first class). In addition to Nightcrawler, my favorites are his ideas for Professor X, Magneto, Wolverine, Gambit, Emma Frost, Mojo, and Mister Sinister.

TheUnworthyThor - 8/10/2020, 7:30 AM

And why is an English accent a must for a character famously from Boston?

GhostDog - 8/10/2020, 7:33 AM

I want to see Spike from X-men Evolution get a live action take too

DoubleD - 8/10/2020, 7:40 AM

Love Cyclops but he was always kind of boring in the movies and even in the comic books.

marvel72 - 8/10/2020, 7:51 AM

Could have made this article a lot shorter by.....

1.The X-Men and their villians
2.Fantastic Four heroes and villians

1 2

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