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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 9829054" data-attributes="member: 59082">And another...This one took longer, because I found myself getting lost in various internet threads and multiverses....THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE, aka MCU 2.0: THE MUTANT VERSIONFirst, a caveat. I've sort of fallen away from the MCU since Endgame. Of the 14 Phase Four to Six movies, I've only seen four: Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Deadpool & Wolverine, and The Fantastic Four. I haven't seen any of the tv series. So what follows is drawn from those films only, as well as my own speculations and that of others that I've read on the interwebs.I sort of see Phases One to Five as MCU 1.0, with Phase Six as transitional, and Phase Seven as MCU 2.0. But it seems the official framing is in three phases: The Infinity Saga, The Multiverse Saga, and...the upcoming Mutant Saga? I use the term "MCU 2.0" because I think the gap between the second and third saga will be far larger than between first and second. (NOTE: While editing this post, I came across <a href="https://comicbookmovie.com/x_men/x-men-rumored-new-details-on-casting-and-script-rewrites-for-marvel-studios-upcoming-reboot-a225251" target="_blank">this article</a>...I guess the term Mutant Saga wasn't so original).Regardless, Phase Seven will be something new - the first part in a new saga of some kind.What We Know: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mutants are here (or will be). It was revealed that Namor and Kamala Khan are both mutants, so we know the gene exists in Earth-<s>199999</s> 616 (I find it annoying that the films stole 616). We also know we'll be seeing some of the old actors, both X-Men and early MCU. I don't know if we know how they'll fit in, but they'll be in at least one of the future films.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Fantastic Four are here, or will be - presumably through the Doomsday/Secret Wars storyline.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">2026 Films: Spider-Man: A Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday; Wonder Man series.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">2027 Films: Avengers: Secret Wars. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Future Films (post-Secret Wars): Blade, Shang-Chi 2, X-Men, Fantastic Four 2, and Armor Wars series.</li> </ul>I'm sure there's more (2027 seems kind of light), but that's what I found on a brief search. It seems clear that 2026-27 will be focused on setting the new direction, but will do so with the help of past actors. MCU 2.0 won't fully start until 2028, with the presumed release of the new iteration of the X-Men. The Secret Wars duology will bring everything together and set the new path forward. I'm guessing that they'll be an uber-extravaganza, with nearly every past character involved, if only in cameos. Doomsday, in particular, also gives them a chance to change direction in 2028 and beyond if need be. I think one dangling question they might have is how to make the FF more popular? The film was solid and I think critically well-received, but I believe in disappointed at the box office. So I'm guessing they'll want to see if viewers fall in love with the FF in Doomsday before fully going ahead with FF2...but I could be wrong.I think the overall picture is that we will see the Fantastic Four and mutant-kind integrated into the MCU. Duh. What becomes of the Avengers and old characters remains to be seen. Specifically, will Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Thor, and others figure into the MCU 2.0, and if so, how (and which versions)? Let's not forget about the Thunderbolts. With Marvel logic, anything is possible. I will repeat that I do think that it is quite possible, even likely, that the third Saga will be the Mutant Saga - or some variant, even morphing into the Phoenix Saga by Phase Nine (see below).One more thing: Just a guess, but I suspect the new X-Men will make their debut in Secret Wars, in some form or fashion. I don't necessarily think as "the X-Men," but at least their younger selves, so that the first X-Men film can debut in the speculated May 2028 release date. Presumably the new X-Men are native to the MCU, with the old X-Men being from an alternate Earth.Here is where my summary and speculation ends. What follows is more personal - and what I'd like to see from the X-Men, in particular.X-CODA1. A Bit on the X-MenWhen I was at the height of my comic book reading, waaaaay back in the late 80s to early 90s, the X-Men were my favorite comic. I started reading actively just before Fall of the Mutants and continued through the end of Claremont's run and a bit after, piecing together the past--from Giant Size X-Men and the "new X-Men" on. I then lost interest, not resonating as much with the post-Claremont stories, and also focused more on 20-something concerns (plus, I was perhaps overly influenced by my feminist girlfriend, who complained about the--admittedly ridiculous--depictions of women).Over the decades, I have somewhat frequently revisited the X-Men, though never to the point of re-upping my readership, though I did eventually go back and ready all the X-Men issues that I had missed in the early Claremont days. I was super excited when the first X-Men film came out, and floored by how good X2 was. The third film, and first Wolverine prequel, were disasters, but I mostly enjoyed the prequel films with the younger cast (I even enjoyed Apocalypse for its campiness and think Dark Phoenix--while not very good--is a bit underrated and had some nice moments). I find Ryan Reynolds a bit annoying, so wasn't in love with the Deadpool films, including the latest one.Anyhow, I don't think my personal opinion on this is just nostalgia, but it seems that it is generally considered that the "Golden Age" of the X-Men was the first long Claremont run - or Uncanny X-Men #94-279 (1975-91). Claremont had turned a secondary team from a cancelled run into the most popular comic book team. There are other highly regarded runs; I know that Grant Morrison's New X-Men (2001-04) and the X-Men '97 animated series (2024-present) are both well-regarded, among others. But Claremont's 1975-1991 run remains iconic, and has been mined to various ways in film (Phoenix, Days of Future Past, God Loves Man Kills, Apocalypse, etc), but with some great un-tapped stories (X-Factor, Mutant Marauders, Fall of the Mutants, Inferno, the Outback era, etc).2. The Phoenix ProblemLet's face it. Jean Grey/Phoenix is awesome. In truth, and with apologies to Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, and Wolverine, one could regard her as the central X-person, and the Phoenix story as the central X-story. In other words, it may not be possible to eventually give in to the magnetic attractor that is the Phoenix Force.We've had two cinematic versions of the Phoenix and both were disappointing. The first was awful, and the second had some good scenes but was overall "meh" at best (and I think revealed Sophie Turner's limitations). That said, I did like how the later films first established that Jean was a potentially super powerful mutant, which was fully released and augmented by the Phoenix Force.If the Phoenix is approached again (as I think it will inevitably be) I think the key is to be patient...to build it up gradually, over several films. If I had my druthers, a five-film "Jean-centric" arc would go something like this:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Origins - Introduces characters - young X-Men arriving at the School for Gifted Youngsters. Their origin stories, coming to the school, training, first adventure(s), getting to know each other. A bit of Scott-Jean early romance. Ends with them completing their first adventure and becoming "The X-Men," complete with uniforms. First hints of Jean's great power. Main characters in mid-to-late tens.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Young X-Men - Now a team, as early 20-somethings, with growing pains. Faces some big threat. More allusions to Jean's great power - elements of losing control in crucial moments, but still with plausible deniability that Phoenix is imminent.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Mature X-Men - Further adventures - now more mature, in their mid-20s and fully capable. Ends with Jean becoming the Phoenix in full, whether through her tapping into her full power and/or merging with the Phoenix Force.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Phoenix - X-Men with Jean as Phoenix. Mid-to-late 20s. She starts to de-stabilize. Introduce Shi-ar - and some kind of cosmic story. Preview of her as Dark Phoenix, but she regains control. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Dark Phoenix - It happens. Now late 20s. This is where you get the whole MCU involved. Don't wimp out on the most dramatic elements - make it cosmic, Jean destroying a Shi-ar ship and an entire world. This could the culmination of "The Mutant Saga," aka Phases 7-9. Oh, and she should probably die in a sacrifice like in the original comics for full impact. Or do something similar to the last film, which wasn't so bad (i.e. cosmic entity protecting Earth, presumably).</li> </ol>You could probably combine 2-4 into two films, with a four-film arc and still get the full impact: Falling in love with Jean, witnessing her eventual fall, and then sacrifice and death. But don't rush it and go big and, in moments, dark. You don't necessarily have to kill a whole world, but at least a Shi-ar ship or fleet!One final note: Jean Grey CastingWho to play Jean Grey? Casting is supposedly going to happen in early 2026, and I'm guessing some kind of preliminary filming will start later in the year, but we're still at least 2 1/2 years away from the first new X-Men film. The <a href="https://comicbookmovie.com/x_men/rumor-x-men-script-being-rewritten-possible-age-range-for-the-mutant-team-revealed-a225730" target="_blank">latest rumor</a> is that they want much younger actors - late teens and 20s. Sadie Sink has been mentioned and is only 23, so even if she is 25 when the first film comes out, she could probably get by playing a late teen. I like Sink and thinks he'd be promising, though she's quite small in stature (5'3") for Jean Grey...but that is negotiable. Daisy Edgar-Jones has also been mentioned, and I like more for the part, but is a bit older - 27 now, but is probably just young enough to make it work, with a bit of movie magic. Emma Mackey starts getting to the line--she turns 30 in January--but may look the part more than anyone else, and almost makes too much sense not to be cast.Either way, you need to cast someone who is A) Can pull off a person in their late teens in a film made in 2026-27, B) Is in it for a likely 10-year haul, and C) Has the dramatic acting chops, so that Jean Grey's turn to Dark Phoenix doesn't come off as a hissy fit. I think a maturing Sink could pull it off, but I like Edgar-Jones more.Another actress who I think would be great, but is a bit on the old side (32) is Maika Monroe. I don't see that happening, though.A Phoenix-less X-franchiseAll that said, the X-Men films can avoid Phoenix. Really, they can! They can still make Jean Grey a super-powerful mutant with a penchant for losing control, and get the essence of her character arc. This also means that they don't have to really make up their minds on whether to go Phoenix or not for at least a couple films - my above arc wouldn't require more than just allusions to her untapped power, even in a Phoenix-less story. So maybe that's the key: Create films that don't have to move towards the Phoenix story, but could. And thanks if you made it this far!</blockquote>

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