Summary
What comes next for theMarvel Cinematic Universeafter the Multiverse Saga? Barring any change of plans in the future, theX-MenMutant Saga is officially happening.
The MCU may be officially sectioned into phases—the current one being Phase Five, although already drawing to a close withThunderbolts*—its true storytelling is better understood through its larger “saga” structure.Avengers: Endgamesaw the end of the Infinity saga and the dawn of the Multiverse saga. Unlike its predecessor, the Multiverse saga was a mixed bag of hits and misses.Spider-Man: No Way Home, andDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnessgot the concept right;Deadpool & Wolverineofficially introduced the X-Meninto the franchise after more than a decade under Fox’s rule. Films likeThe MarvelsandAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, however, were rejected by audiences.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige appears to be laying the groundwork for a new, long-term direction—one powered by theX-Men. According to a report by theWall Street Journal,Feige has told multiple colleagues at Marvel Studios about his ten-year plan for the mutants in the MCU. It is the result of an internal restructuring led by Feige to shift the studio’s focus towards quality over quantity, a strategy aimed at winning back an audience presumably down with a severe case of “Marvel fatigue.” The report notes that some executives found it difficult to align with Feige on their projects, and even when they managed to connect, weeks of work could be scrapped after receiving his input. In some cases, staffers reportedly resorted to literally chasing himjust to get feedback.
A Marvel Cinematic Universe ‘Mutant Saga’ Is Not A New Idea
Signs Of A Mutant-Led MCU Have Been There For A While
These comments on the X-Men, although hugely significant, shouldn’t wholly surprise anyone who’s been paying attention to the subtle writings on the wall. Last year, Feige quietly hinted at his current decision with words:I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize. Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men.“Besides, six X-Men mutants are in the official cast list forAvengers: Doomsday,and anX-Men reboot is currently being scriptedby Michael Lesslie,which is expected to debut no earlier thanAvengers: Secret Warsin 2027.
Interestingly, one of the beneficiaries of this news is Ryan Reynolds. Just days ago, the actor-writer aired his plans foranother Deadpool and X-Men collab, which would see the Merc with a Mouth surrender the lead role to four or five X-Men characters. The idea is still in its infant stages and hasn’t been pitched to Marvel Studios yet, but with the latest developments, Feige’s answer to Reynolds’ plan is likely to be a “Yes.” Equally promising is the potential audience reception to the X-Men stepping in as the MCU’s next central force following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. A lineup featuring Reynolds’ Deadpool, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Channing Tatum’s Gambit, Dafne Keen’s X-23, and whoever plays Blade could mark the dawn of an exciting mutant-led era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe; fans would hardly reject such an offer. But most of those actors would be long retired by the time any such plan becomes concrete.
