While there was a time when the X-Men ruled the world of comic book movies, it was very long ago. Outside of Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine, none of Fox’s attempts to expand the X-Men franchise’s dominance really worked out. The disappointment of “X-Men: The Last Stand” dashed any hopes of the mainline story continuing, and after “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” received significant audience backlash, a lot of concepts surrounding solo X-Men films were scrapped. Then, the massive failures of films like “The New Mutants,” “X-Men: Apocalypse,” and “Dark Phoenix” pretty much ended the rebooted X-Men storyline on a low note. Now, though, with the X-Men film rights fully transferred to Disney, it’s time for the MCU to reboot the X-Men and start a new era for Marvel’s most famous mutant heroes.
With the current Multiverse Saga hitting some rough patches and struggling to recapture the magic of the pre-“Endgame” MCU, Marvel Studios will likely want to jump-start things with a fresh approach. The X-Men are the perfect team to bring new energy to the MCU, as its vast array of heroes and storylines could reinvigorate the audience’s interest, especially since the X-Men are a known success story. After so many notable failures, the X-Men need to establish their place and dominance in the comic book movie space, and a reboot placed firmly within the MCU could easily do that.
