Why My Dream MCU X-Men Team Leaves Out Wolverine (& Yours Should Too)

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Summary

  • The MCU's official X-Men team is expected to debut soon, and I think the group's original line-up from Marvel Comics could be the best roster.
  • None of Marvel's original X-Men team members got the justice they deserved in Fox's live-action X-Men franchise, which can be rectified in the MCU.
  • The X-Men's original line-up doesn't include Wolverine, which will leave more space for other mutants to be developed in the MCU.

My dream version of Marvel Studios' first mutant superhero team in the upcoming X-Men reboot doesn't feature Wolverine, and for very good reason. Since Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox was finalized in 2019, several mutant characters from Marvel Comics have debuted in the MCU, but these have been variants of notable mutants, or returning characters from Fox's X-Men franchise. The prospect of the MCU's official X-Men team making its debut has me very excited, but only as long as Marvel Studios gets the team's first line-up right.
The X-Men team have gone through several incarnations in both Marvel Comics and Fox's live-action franchise. In the latter, the original team of 2000's X-Men comprised Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm, while the likes of Rogue, Iceman, Colossus and Kitty Pryde joined later, only to be completely revised following X-Men: First Class. However, the original line-up of X-Men from Marvel Comics has never been adapted into live-action, but I think this would make the perfect roster for the X-Men's debut in the MCU.
Related 12 Most Important X-Men For The MCU To Introduce, Ranked The MCU"s X-Men are coming, and Marvel Studios could introduce any of the mutant characters from Marvel Comics, but some are more crucial than others.
Marvel’s Original X-Men Line-Up Was A Very Strong Version Of The Team Marvel Comics' X-Men Team First Appeared In 1963's The X-Men #1 There has been some discussion about which mutants should be included in the first version of the MCU's X-Men team. There are many powerful and exciting mutants in Marvel Comics to choose from, but I am of the opinion that Marvel Studios should keep the team's first roster simple, introducing only six mutants – those who comprised the original X-Men team from Marvel Comics. This version of the team first appeared in 1963's The X-Men #1, kick-starting the team's long-running feud with Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants in a series of simple yet exhilarating adventures.
Marvel's Original X-Men
Previously Played By
Charles Xavier's Professor X
Patrick Stewart & James McAvoy
Scott Summers' Cyclops
James Marsden & Tye Sheridan
Jean Grey's Marvel Girl & Phoenix
Famke Janssen & Sophie Turner
Hank McCoy's Beast
Kelsey Grammer & Nicholas Hoult
Bobby Drake's Iceman
Shawn Ashmore
Warren Worthington III's Angel & Archangel
Ben Foster & Ben Hardy
Debuting only this handful of mutants in the MCU's X-Men reboot would allow Marvel Studios to tell a more personal and intimate storyline. I'd love for this to focus on the key themes of the X-Men in Marvel Comics: racism, discrimination and the philosophical battle between good and evil. This would also make for a formidable line-up, as each of these heroes are supremely powerful. This roster has become legendary in Marvel Comics, so it would be fantastic for them to have the same level of fame and respect in the live-action MCU.
None Of The Original X-Men Members Got The Development They Deserved In Fox’s X-Men Franchise 20th Century Fox Wasted Some Of Marvel's Most Powerful & Most Popular X-Men Members Close Some may turn their nose up at the prospect of the MCU's first X-Men team being comprised of only these six heroes – five as Professor X takes a behind the scenes role in Marvel Comics. However, I think this could actually be the best choice for Marvel Studios, since none of these heroes got the development they deserved in 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise. Fox sidelined some of the most significant mutants in Marvel history in its live-action movies, particularly the likes of Iceman and Angel, who saw very little attention and growth.
Related 10 Great Marvel Characters Failed By X-Men Movies The X-Men are some of Marvel"s most iconic characters, but their original film franchise failed their heroes and villains in multiple ways.
Even the bigger names, like Cyclops and Jean Grey, were wasted. James Marsden's Scott Summers was unceremoniously killed off in X-Men: The Last Stand, and was confined to a simple and boring love-triangle storyline beforehand, while both Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner's Jean Greys were taken out of play in lackluster adaptations of Marvel's Dark Phoenix Saga. Only Professor X and Beast saw any meaningful development, but even these could have been taken further, so I'd love to see Marvel Studios finally do all these characters justice.
Wolverine’s Absence Would Leave Space For New Stories In The MCU’s X-Men Reboot Hugh Jackman Has Played Wolverine In Ten Live-Action Movies Spanning Over Two Decades Most crucially, my dream line-up for the MCU's X-Men team doesn't include James "Logan" Howlett's Wolverine. Don't get me wrong, I love Wolverine as a character, and Hugh Jackman's long-running portrayal of the clawed mutant has filled me with joy for many years. However, it was Wolverine's prominence in Fox's X-Men franchise that meant other notable heroes went unnoticed and ignored, so I think it would be a great idea to omit him from the first X-Men team in the MCU, allowing other mutants to get some attention.
Wolverine's Live-Action Movie
Year
X-Men
2000
X2: X-Men United
2003
X-Men: The Last Stand
2006
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
2009
X-Men: First Class
2011
The Wolverine
2013
X-Men: Days of Future Past
2014
X-Men: Apocalypse
2016
Logan
2017
Deadpool & Wolverine
2024
Wolverine didn't join the X-Men until 1975's Giant-Size X-Men #1, after he'd already had dealings with Sabretooth, fought alongside Captain America in World War II, settled and married in Japan, joined Team X, been enhanced with adamantium, and battled the Hulk. I think this rich history deserves to be seen independently of the X-Men, allowing the backstories of other mutants to be explored in greater detail. Hugh Jackman is leaving big shoes to fill, so Marvel Studios shouldn't rush to recast Wolverine for X-Men, and should instead focus on developing a more stripped-back roster of powerful heroes.
Marvel's X-Men Not Yet Rated ActionSuperhero Marvel's X-Men is the tentative title for the future debut of the legendary Marvel mutant superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
Studio(s) Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Writers Michael Lesslie Upcoming MCU Movies Captain America: Brave New World
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