13 X-Men characters who deserve a place in the MCU

The X-Men will always be one of comic book’s greatest and most profitable properties. 2024 could have been their biggest year. It was the end of the Krakoan Age on top of Marvel Studios’ first mutant project, X-Men ‘97. Now it’s time to capitalize on the momentum. The best way to do that is to start bringing more mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There are a lot of obvious mutants that should be in the MCU. Heroes like Wolverine, Rogue, and Cyclops will make appearances. We’ll also see villains Magneto and Apocalypse. Instead of the typical list, let’s mix it up a bit. Here are 13 X-Men characters who deserve to be in the MCU with some sleeper picks you may have forgotten.

13. Laura Kinney

Laura Kinney’s story is full of tragic moments. She was experimented on, forced to be an assassin, and tricked into killing her mother. She wouldn’t even have a name if her mother didn’t give her one. The Facility didn't consider her a person. She was a weapon they used to kill people.

Laura doesn’t just deserve a place in the MCU. She should get a solo series on Disney Plus. Seeing her go from a weapon to her own person would be a must-watch project.

12. Iceman

Shawn Ashmore wasn’t bad in the X-Men movies. The problem was the creative team didn’t show his potential. Iceman's personality was bland and his ice powers weren’t explored. He didn’t even use his ice form until the end of the third movie. That’s like Johnny Storm never being on fire. No doubt the MCU will redo his character and fix those problems.

11. Emma Frost

20th Century Fox didn’t do a bad job with Emma Frost. She was as powerful as you’d want her to be. The only issue was her relationship with Sebastian Shaw. When she makes her MCU debut, she shouldn’t be bossed around by anyone in the Hellfire Club. She certainly shouldn't let someone tell her to fetch them some ice without some pushback.

10. Juggernaut

The Juggernaut is one of the X-Men’s oldest enemies who later became their ally. This would make for a wonderful redemption story. it worked in Marvel Comics and should do the same for Marvel Studios. Cain Marko (Juggernaut) could still be the unstoppable force that hates his brother-in-law (Charles Xavier). We need to see that fight. Later, he can confess that his hatred stemmed from jealousy and self-doubt. Who wouldn't love that?

9. Nightcrawler

X-Men '97 reminded people of Nightcrawler's potential on two levels. First, his teleporting abilities are cool to watch. Second, his personality represents the X-Men perfectly. He keeps hope that humanity will accept mutants despite what he’s shown. And when things get bad, he’s always there with a kind word, a bad joke, or the right quote to help ease the mood.

8. Jubilee

No one has more fun than Jubilee. For that reason, she deserves a place in the MCU. She’s instant excitement and happiness from her powers to her personality. This was highlighted in X-Men ‘97. Hopefully, Marvel Studios will keep the trend of making her more powerful than we’ve seen.

7. Gambit

Marvel needs to ride the wave of Gambit’s popularity. He’s always been beloved, but his final moment in X-Men ‘97 was elite. He should make an appearance in the MCU sooner rather than later. If not, wait until he becomes Death in season 2 of X-Men '97.

6. Armor

At some point, Marvel Studios will bring in the younger mutants. Armor should be the first to appear. She debuted on the X-Men’s roster during Astonishing X-Men (officially helping out during the Torn storyline). Doing that again would make sense. Maybe not immediately, but it should happen eventually. Not only is she powerful, she’s proven herself to be a good leader.

5. Sabretooth

Now that we know R-rated projects can happen in the MCU, it’s time for the fight we’ve been waiting for. Fans have wanted a bloody action scene from these two for years. It’s one thing to see it in the comics. It’s another to see live action. They fought in the movies, but it's not the same without the blood and viciousness. We need to see these guys taking chunks out of each other.

4. Mystique the villain

Making Mystique a hero was a mistake. She thrives as a villain and isn’t a character that should be leading the X-Men or on their team unless she’s forced to or has an ulterior motive. Return her to the days when she was smooth and deadly like Rebecca Romijn.

3. Morph

Like Gambit, Marvel should capitalize on Morph’s popularity. He wasn’t just one of the X–Men’s powerhouses. In many ways, he’s everything the Marvel Cinematic Universe represents. He’s funny, and deep, and helps by representing the LGBTQ+ community by having a non-binary character.

2. Sassy Mr. Sinister

Nathaniel Essex was teased during the 20th Century’s X-Men era (Deadpool 2 and X-Men: Apocalypse). In retrospect, it’s a good thing he never appeared. Now, his first appearance will be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, we need to see the new Mr. Sinister from the comics with a sassy attitude, smart remarks, and loves his cape more than people. He'll be loved and hated all at once.

1. Storm

I’m aware that I contradicted myself by adding Storm, but she needs to be mentioned. There’s no doubt that she will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Next to Wolverine, she’s the most popular and profitable X-Men hero. Hopefully, unlike the previous two performers, whoever plays Storm next will have a creative team that cares about the character.

Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out which X-Men will appear in the MCU next.

Which of the X-Men do you want to see? Are there any on this list that shouldn't be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Instagram and Twitter.