Kevin Feige Previews the X-Men’s Arrival in the MCU

by Justin Hermes · December 1, 2024

One of the biggest questions looming over the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is how Kevin Feige and his team will integrate the X-Men.

While the next handful of Marvel movies, including Captain America: Brave New World, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Thunderbolts, will remain anchored in the Multiverse Saga, the Mutanta Saga is on the horizon.

Photo: Marvel

Although Marvel has been able to integrate established X-Men from the Fox universe, including Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Hugh Jackson’s Wolverine, and Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, the MCU has yet to introduce a full-fledged mutant of its own.

The X-Men Are Coming

According to Kevin Feige, however, that will soon change.

“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. Again, [it’s] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back.”

(L-R): Morph (voiced by JP Karliak), Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith), Gambit (voiced by AJ LoCascio), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Wolverine (voiced by Cal Dodd), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), Beast (voiced by George Buza) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.

Previewing the differences between the Fox X-Men and the MCU version of the team, Feige quickly pointed to Hugh Jackman finally donning Wolverine’s iconic yellow suit in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Photo: Marvel

“When we first started working on the film for the first time, we wanted to see Wolverine in a yellow costume,” Feige said. “I had goosebumps on set when he walked out wearing that costume and put on that mask for the first time. I’ve been waiting 25 years to bring that to life.”

A New Era in the MCU

So far, Marvel has tread lightly when it comes to the X-Men, although the studio did have a massive success with X-Men ’97 outside of the MCU. Soon, however, all that will change, and the iconic mutant group will get its chance to shine again.