Immortal X-Men highlights why it’s important for some mutants to have firm historical ties — and why it needs to carry over to the MCU.
Ever since the completion of Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, fans have been awaiting their debut to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There have been lots of ideas on how that could happen, and what could empower the mutant race as they suddenly appear.
But here’s the thing — they shouldn’t just appear, with some specific mutants better served when they have a genuine history behind them. Stories like Immortal X-Men highlight why they need to keep their historical impact on the universe, however — meaning mutants can’t just suddenly appear in the universe as a whole new species.
A common fan theory for the future of the MCU suggests that mutants could be introduced due to the events that happen in the films. These have ranged from an after-effect of Thanos activating the Infinity Gauntlet so many times in quick succession, a by-product of WandaVision’s mystical influence, or the multiverse-bending events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Each of these ideas suggest mutants would become a new aspect of the MCU instead of mutants having always been a part of the universe. This approach might explain why mutants haven’t been overtly included in events up to the present day — but would also cost the X-Men some of the legacy and history inherent to multiple characters.
While most of the X-Men and their associated foes are from the present day, there are some important ones whose long lives have become indelible parts of their character. Wolverine and Sabretooth have been alive for over a century, having fought in numerous wars across the globe. Magneto’s history ties him directly to the atrocities committed in World War II, using real-world events to influence his development. Mystique and Destiny became a couple in the 19th century, their distaste for a world that could never accept them carrying over into the present day. Exodus is a relic of the Crusades, tying him to the just introduced MCU Black Knight. Apocalypse and the Externals are ancient figures whose deep histories help flesh out the legacy of the Marvel Universe.
All of these characters are improved upon by their longevity in the world and interactions with history. Immortal X-Men has delved directly into this element of the characters, highlighting their long lives and how the true influence of mutants on the world has no true beginning or ending. If the MCU wants to bring the X-Men to the big screen in all their glory, then that history has been recognized as part of it. This would mean any of the theories about which new MCU event will create mutants must inherently be flawed. While events could be used as a means to increase the number of mutants in the world — such as increasing amounts of radiation in the world spurring on more mutant births in early X-Men comics — mutants need to have existed in the universe for untold centuries to be an effective storytelling device.
It’s a tricky conundrum, to be sure. Having mutants exist in any form before they’re formally introduced into the MCU could raise questions of where they were during the events of the Infinity Saga and other major conflicts. But those can be explained in some form with relative ease — whereas losing the full history of mutants would be a huge loss to the franchise. They could even use the fact that mutants have existed for ages in secret as a story beat — as the increasing number of them leads to rising amounts of hate and fear for them. The X-Men need to have their rich legacy preserved when they inevitably come to the MCU.
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