It's not something any of us ever expected to happen, but the Disney/Fox deal opened the door to the X-Men and Fantastic Four finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The introduction of those characters promises to massively expand this shared world, with a nearly endless list of heroes and villains now in Kevin Feige's hands along with familiar faces like Thor, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel. Jon Watts has walked away from the Fantastic Four reboot, but the hunt for a new director has begun, and there are said to be big plans for a new X-Men film as well.
The question on everyone's lips right now is how Marvel can go about introducing mutants and Marvel's First Family over a decade into the MCU's existence.
Luckily for you, we have some compelling theories we're sure you'll have fun checking out! To take a look, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below.
7. Krakoa Hideout
After all those Fox films featuring the X-Men, the idea of watching Professor X use Cerebro or the team emerging from beneath their basketball court in the Blackbird just feels redundant.
As bad as the franchise often was in Fox's hands, the studio hit many of the expected beats fans wanted, so Marvel Studios will have no choice but to shake things up in an eventual reboot.
In recent comics, mutants have established a nation on the sentient island of Krakoa, using portals to travel across the globe. Charles Xavier, meanwhile, has found a way for the Children of the Atom to cheat death. Like Wonder Woman hiding out on Themyscira with her fellow Amazons, this would explain why mutants have been M.I.A. up until this point.
Some, like Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, would've slipped through the cracks, but Charles Xavier having an army at his disposal would explain why mutants are feared and hated upon their emergence.
6. The Swingin' Sixties
As much as we all no doubt want to see the Fantastic Four interacting with heroes like Spider-Man and Captain America, what if their story takes place years before the Avengers assembled?
It wouldn't be the first time studio bosses have considered setting a big screen adventure featuring this team in the decade they were created, and it would certainly help the franchise stand apart from what's happening in the present day. This reboot could put a fun spin on the 1960s, with the heroes wearing their classic costumes and battling the likes of Mole Man and Annihilus.
If Kevin Feige is really looking to make some bold creative decisions, they could defeat Galactus in the past, only for the villain to return to Earth decades later where he battles a new Fantastic Four led by Franklin and Valeria Richards.
It'd be cool, but might upset some purists.
5. The Snap
Any one of the Snaps could be used to explain the emergence of mutants, but it feels too obvious and a little forced. Sure, the Infinity Stones could activate the X-Gene, but that leads to a whole host of possible plot holes (key characters like Professor X and Magneto would need to be much younger).
For the Fantastic Four, however, this would work fantastically... yes, we're sticking with that pun!
In the comics, Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben steal a spaceship for a test flight, but end up being bombarded by "cosmic rays" which give the team their powers. In the MCU, that storm could be the result of the power of the Infinity Stones being unleashed.
This would immediately give the Fantastic Four a link to the wider MCU.
4. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Our gut is telling us to temper expectations for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and we're certainly not anticipating a Flashpoint-style event that sees this movie end with the X-Men and Fantastic Four suddenly part of the MCU.
However, with Sir Patrick Stewart obviously set to play a Professor X Variant, the door is open to the existence of mutants finally being confirmed in this world. It could be as simple as Charles recognising Wanda Maximoff for what she truly is, setting the stage for the reveal down the line that mutants have been living among the denizens of the MCU this entire time.
If the rumours are true and Mister Fantastic is also part of the Illuminati, then it seems Marvel Studios will reintroduce key members of both the Fantastic Four and X-Men as Variants. This will probably be the last time we see them, but it at least prepares fans for their MCU counterparts to debut.
Just don't expect them to necessarily look anything like what we see here...
3. Trapped Inside The Quantum Realm
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is quite clearly going to revisit the Quantum Realm, but what if it's known by another name...oh, we don't know, how about the Negative Zone?
A frequent haunt of the Fantastic Four's, and the home of the evil Annihilus, it's possible the team really did first assemble in the 1960s, only to become trapped there and emerge decades later (without having aged a day). With Kang the Conqueror part of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, it could be Peyton Reed who gets to introduce this team of heroes.
He's a well-known fan of Marvel's First Family, and Kang has some big ties to them.
He nailed bringing Luke Skywalker back in The Mandalorian, so we would definitely have faith in Peyton Reed being the one to hit the reset button on this foursome.
2. Deadpool Vs. The MCU
Of course we haven't forgotten about Deadpool!
If you're into comics, you're probably familiar with the Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe stories which take place in a different reality and follow Wade Wilson as he's tasked with taking out the world's greatest heroes.
A film like this could be set in a standalone, R-Rated MCU which does away with any need for lengthy explanations and just has fun inserting the anti-hero into a world where he can interact with familiar faces we never expected he would get the chance to meet (it's a perfect premise for the now confirmed Deadpool 3)
This would mean present-day stories would be lacking Deadpool, but a rebooted version with a new actor could show up eventually, and a story like this means Reynolds' tenure can continue without it affecting plans for a full X-Men reboot.
1. Galactus In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Star-Lord his crew crossing paths with Silver Surfer could be a cool way to confirm that Galactus has awakened and is heading for Earth.
That would likely be because he sensed the power of the Infinity Stones, and while it will be the Fantastic Four who are pivotal in stopping the villain, a tease like this would serve as a perfect way to bring two iconic characters into this shared world and lay the groundwork for Reed and his team to have to step up and take on the MCU's biggest threat yet.
This tease could also take place in a film like Thor: Love and Thunder.
Setting Galactus up as the MCU's next Thanos is a logical next step, and a refreshing change of pace from Doctor Doom.