Avengers 6’s Reboot Theory Perfectly Explains A Major X-Men MCU Mystery 16 Years Later
Summary
- The X-Men could be introduced in the MCU through an Avengers: Secret Wars reboot theory.
- The MCU may find it easier to address mutant discrimination in a new universe.
- Avengers: Secret Wars could serve as a sendoff to past Marvel movie universes.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been working behind the scenes to set up the introduction of the X-Men, and a popular theory about Avengers: Secret Wars could make this finally happen. The premise of the "Secret Wars" comics suggests that the movie will use the story as an opportunity to tie its Multiverse Saga together. Following films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine, connecting different superhero franchises has been a successful endeavor for both Marvel and the audiences. However, once all of these pieces are used, something new will have to take their place.
X-Men storytelling in movies has been interesting in that, across many X-Men movies, a level of connectivity has been maintained. Even after the series seemed to be rebooted with X-Men: First Class, that film's continuity was tied in with the previous trilogy in X-Men: Days of Future Past. As a result, despite varied titles from Logan to Deadpool, only one genuine iteration of the X-Men has yet been explored in a live-action films. Following this, audiences are hungry for the MCU timeline to provide a new take on the characters, and shed light on how they will be integrated into the larger world.
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2 A Long-Term X-Men Hero Mystery Can Be Easily Explained By The MCU Reboot Theory A Reset Universe Would Allow The Exploration Of Mutant Rights To Remain A Theme Close Perhaps the greatest difficulty in inserting the X-Men into the MCU is that the hatred of mutants, a fundamental component of X-Men storytelling, would not currently make sense. People with powers, whether innate, through experimentation, or as the result of a mutation, have long existed in the MCU, and many of its biggest heroes fall into these categories.
While the danger of superpowered figures has been confronted in films like Captain America: Civil War, there is no disdain from the public for these figures at a fundamental and focal level. Heroes are, broadly speaking, revered in the MCU; even musicals have been made about them. While Secret Invasion can be seen to have begun storylines more actively exploring this type of plot, even this is focused on "off-world species" rather than mutants – and, based on Secret Invasion's reception, may well not be actively follow-up on in any meaningful degree.
There are comforts in seeing how Marvel won't commit Fox's mistakes in their eventual reboot, but X-Men storytelling has tended to confront difficult themes of equality and civil rights throughout its long run in the comics and the Fox films. Government officials have hated mutants and have attempted to erase them, leading to insurrections by factions like those led by Magneto. While these stories would not make full sense in the MCU, the universe is rumored to be rebooted following Avengers: Secret Wars. Doing this could allow for different explorations of superpowered beings and their place in the world.
The MCU Combining Universes In Its Reboot Would Make People Hating The X-Men Make Sense Discrimination Against Superpowered People Would Need To Be Explored In The MCU Close Following the events of the "Secret Wars" comic books, it seems likely that Avengers: Secret Wars will end with the combination of multiple universes and aspects, creating a brand new universe filled with characters both new and familiar. This will allow paradigms to be reset and create a new culture with new ideas. Components of Fox's X-Men universe, or even the comic universes, could have the space to persist in future storytelling. With a new universe created by the actions of superpowered beings, it might make sense for distrust by the public to grow.
Unless the studio decides to take a different spin on the property, as is certainly possible, major universe changes will need to be made. It is essential that an understanding of mistrust be established with the mutant population. People will need to be fearful of their actions, whether from a new understanding of heroes altogether or from a completely new and fresh universe filled with new characters and ideas.
The MCU's Reboot Theory Would Be The Perfect Sendoff To All Its Past Movie Universes All Good Things Must End, And Secret Wars Might Be A Logical Closure Point Close The ending of Deadpool & Wolverine went out of its way to say goodbye to the Fox universe of Marvel characters, and it is likely that, if they intend on rebooting the universe after the film's events, Avengers: Secret Wars may perform the same function on a larger scale. Characters like Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine are rumored to share the screen in Secret Wars, culminating in an enormous conclusion that pays respects to the entirety of the Marvel multiverse. In this, heroes new and old alike can be bid farewell before moving on to other things.
It seems unlikely that the entire universe would be ended, considering the size and scale of its success. However, the MCU as it exists cannot persist forever. If creatives feel restricted by the world they've created, it might make sense to do away with all that had come before and create something new in its place. As such, it will be interesting to see how the Multiverse Saga's ending is approached, and if the upcoming DCU's success or failure in the forthcoming years may inspire Marvel to move in one direction or another with the future of its universe.
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1 The MCU is not likely to be going anywhere anytime soon, but there are a series of tweaks that will have to be made to integrate the X-Men characters into the universe. Iconic villains like Magneto and his understandable motivations would not make sense inside the MCU as it stands. That is why a reboot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the events of Secret Wars may be essential for the universe's future, as a fresh start for the rumored Mutant Saga may be the best path forward.
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
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