As we write this, Phase 5 is about to begin and take us even deeper into Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga. While a Fantastic Four reboot will be part of that, Kevin Feige is clearly in no rush to put a new spin on the X-Men franchise, something that's hardly a surprise when Fox came close to destroying the property.
We have, however, had a couple of "m" word mentions, with Ms. Marvel and Namor both confirmed to carry the X-Gene. The X-Men's MCU debut is clearly on the horizon, but likely not until after Avengers: Secret Wars is released.
Our hope is the team will debut and finally battle comic-accurate Sentinels, but there are countless stories Marvel Studios can tell in that first movie and beyond. Whether it's sequels or spin-offs, the X-Men should be a massive part of the MCU and we have some ideas for the stories the studio needs to strongly consider borrowing from in the coming years.
From beloved classics to modern epics, these are the comic books we think the next wave of X-Men movies should borrow from. Check them out by hitting the "Next" button below!
10. Return of the King
In Fox's X-Men movies, Magneto flip-flopped between being a hero and villain for years, either ending up in prison or deciding to retire every time he came close to assembling the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
However, in the Ultimate X-Men story arc "Return of the King," the Master of Magnetism decided that enough is enough and prepares to destroy the Earth in order to remake it in his image. There are some similarities to that first X-Men movie here, but this was Magneto preparing for human genocide on a global level.
During this storyline, the villain's powers were amplified thanks to a machine built by Forge. The X-Men came together to take Magneto down, and this arc was so good that the series was never quite able to live up to what happened moving forward. This could be an epic culmination of years of stories that finally gets Magneto right.
9. Deadly Genesis
Just like Ed Brubaker's work shook up the Captain America franchise when Marvel adapted The Winter Soldier, Deadly Genesis could do wonders for the X-Men.
This story revealed that before putting together the team of X-Men made up of heroes like Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus, Professor X assembled another group of mutants (which included Cyclops' brother Vulcan). They all seemingly died during their first mission, but in the present, it was revealed that Gabriel Summers was still alive...and desperate for revenge.
The story ended with Cyclops banishing Professor Xavier from his own school, leaving him the new leader of the X-Men. Revelations like this early on about Charles could help the MCU move past telling the same old stories with the team reporting to the all-knowing Professor X. After all, how can anyone live up to Sir Patrick Stewart?
8. Mutant Massacre
Arguably one of the most iconic X-Men crossovers of all time, "Mutant Massacre" introduced the sewer-dwelling Morlocks and featured Mister Sinister sending in his Marauders to wipe them out.
There are a number of big name characters this adaptation could bring to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Gambit. Mister Sinister's big screen debut is also long overdue at this stage, and even a loose adaptation of this storyline would be a great way to throw him into the X-Men's world.
Seeing the X-Men pushed to their limits (many of them were gravely wounded here) would be great, and as Magneto also played a role in the story, there are lot of places it could take us. Ultimately, though, it would show audiences that there's more to being a mutant than dressing up like a superhero and living in a fancy Westchester mansion.
7. Broodfall
Fox's X-Men took on some big threats over the years, so Marvel Studios will need to top that somehow.
Well, how about an alien invasion? That's where the Brood would come in. "Broodfall" was packed full of cool fights and character drama, while the sight of Wolverine attempting to fight off the infection which would turn him into one of them remains iconic to this very day.
Adapting a story like this would be something vastly different (which is crucial for the characters at this stage), and takes the team in an unexpected direction which includes elements of sci-fi and horror. That would make it a darker and more mature tale, embracing the cosmic side of the team too. That's definitely long overdue.
6. E Is For Extinction
Written by Grant Morrison, his first New X-Men arc was, in places, every bit as baffling as the rest of his run. However, there are elements here, and from other parts of the series, which would work really well on the big screen. Among them is Scott Summer's affair with Emma Frost, the mystery surrounding the mega-powerful Xorn, and a huge revelation about Charles Xavier.
That saw us learn that he has a twin sister (made up of psychic energy) he knowingly murdered in the womb.
Beast's monstrous secondary mutation would also be fun to explore, and just like "E Is For Extinction" freshened up these characters at a time they were beginning to feel stale, borrowing ideas from this run could be a nice way to take some drastic new risks with these incredible characters.
5. Avengers vs. X-Men
This is a no-brainer. While some might argue it would make sense for the X-Men to be introduced in a movie that pits them against the Avengers, it makes far more sense for that to be an event Marvel Studios builds towards.
After spending a few years familiarising fans with this new version of these mutant characters, bringing them into the orbit of Earth's Mightiest Heroes for an epic battle would be mind-blowing.
There are a number of ways to make this happen, but a simple misunderstanding - the Avengers being fooled into thinking the X-Men are the threat the government and press claim, for example - might be best. A team-up will inevitably take place, but creating some tension between the heroes would be no bad thing.
4. The Dark Phoenix Saga
Look, we know what you're thinking: been there, done that, right? It's true that Fox tried and failed to adapt this storyline (twice), but there's still a lot you could do with this one.
As we've mentioned, exploring the cosmic side of their adventures would be awesome, especially if it led to the introduction of the Shi'ar Empire (that's something a more faithful adaptation of the "Dark Phoenix Saga" could build to). The X-Men have headed into outer space just as many times as the Avengers, and a sci-fi take on the team would be refreshing and exciting.
There definitely needs to be a lot of breathing space between Dark Phoenix and a new interpretation of this storyline, but given the right build and creative direction, the whole thing could finally be redeemed.
3. Astonishing X-Men
Joss Whedon's name is now mud, but there are still ideas from his and John Cassady's Astonishing X-Men run which would fit well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
X-Men: The Last Stand already borrowed the "Cure" idea, and there's really no reason to bring that back to the big screen. However, setting the action on the alien Breakworld and utilising Ord as a big bad would work nicely, as would the team's decision to step out of the shadows and finally suit up so that they can be seen by the world as legit superheroes.
Throw in other Whedon-created characters like Danger (the Danger Room brought to life), and we could be in for a real treat. Once upon a time, the filmmaker could have even helmed this adaptation, but that's obviously not something we're anticipating seeing ever happen now.
2. House of M
The Scarlet Witch was never part of Fox's X-Men movies, but that's probably for the best. After all, it meant they didn't get the chance to completely screw the character up before Marvel's take.
Neither WandaVision nor Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness revealed that Wanda Maximoff is a mutant, but with Ms. Marvel and Namor confirmed to be among them, this is a retcon it would be pretty easy to pull off in the near future.
House of M featured a lot of Avengers characters. Wolverine was (of course) the main focus, as was Magneto and his family after this alternate reality essentially turned them into the world's royal family. Exploring a world where mutants are the dominant species and Magneto rules over everything has a ton of potential, as does that now iconic "No More Mutants" scene.
1. Schism
Just like Captain America: Civil War divided the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice pit two DC Comics icons against each other, the X-Men franchise could very easily follow in their footsteps by loosely adapting Schism.
That story featured the X-Men split right down the middle, with Cyclops and Wolverine's friendship completely obliterated as they went to war with each other and fought for control of the team.
Splitting the team into two factions (and two franchises) would be a fun direction for the series heading into the future, and just like Cap and Iron Man were eventually reunited, Scott and Logan could be too. This isn't something we'd expect to see for a very long time, though.