Every X-Men character who has arrived in the MCU (plus the 10 we hope to see)

The Disney acquisition of Fox seems like it took place a long time ago since we have gotten so used to the idea, but the reality is that it’s only been five years (it was completed in 2019). Since then, every comic book fan has wanted to see the X-Men make their long-awaited debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It hasn't happened on a wider scale just yet, but Marvel Studios has been using recent titles in its Multiverse Saga to feature nods and references to some of the X-Men, laying the groundwork for their ineivtable arrival. That grounwork includes cameos from actors and characters that were part of previous Marvel movies.

So far, only five of the comic book X-Men have appeared and here they are.

X-Men characters that have appeared in the MCU so far

Charles Xavier

• Joined the X-Men: The X-Men No. 1
• First MCU appearance: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave fans a version of The Illuminati. Like the original team in Marvel Comics Professor Charles Xavier was a member. It was the character's first appearance in the MCU and to make things even better, he was portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart, who also played the character in Fox's X-Men film series.

He had his yellow floating wheelchair too, and arrived to the sound of the iconic X-Men theme - which no doubt made fans of X-Men: The Animated Series smile. Eventually, he fell to the Scarlet Witch like everyone else who tried to stop her. 

Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel

• Joined the X-Men: X-Men: Hellfire Gala (2023)
• First MCU appearance: Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan was the first mutant officially introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She made her debut as Ms. Marvel on the Disney Plus series, but a shock revelation confirmed that she was actually a mutant, too. It may have been in a roundabout way, but it counts.

This resulted in Kamala becoming a mutant in the comics too. Hopefully, this was more than just a reveal and that it might actually lead to her joining the team whenever they assemble on the screen. Ms. Marvel has been a good X-Man in the comics and it should happen in the MCU, too.

Namor

• Joined the X-Men: Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus
• First MCU appearance: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The King of Atlantis became an X-Man in Marvel Comics during Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign. He didn’t remain on the team, but he’ll be back there someday. When it came to introducing him in the MCU, fans were expecting his arrival to have a connection to the X-Men, and that's exactly what happened when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever confirmed that he was the world's first mutant.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Namor joined the X-Men in the MCU in the future. He’ll understand what mutants are going through and try to help them. 

Beast

• Joined the X-Men: The X-Men No. 1
• First MCU appearance: The Marvels

Hank "The Beast" McCoy appeared at the end of The Marvels in the movie's post-credits scene and it was definitely the best mutant reveal so far. We don't know what universe this was (could it be the live-action portrayal of X-Men '97?), but he is an X-Man and his appearance counts. What's even cooler is that he was portrayed by Kelsey Grammer, who played the character in Fox's X-Men saga.

We don't know if - or when - we'll see Beast again, but since this is only the beginning of the mutants' involvement in the MCU, we'd bet he'll be back at some point.

Quicksilver

• Joined the X-Men: X-Factor No. 71 (they're a sub team of the X-Men. It counts)
• First MCU appearance: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Here’s another forgotten X-Man that’s known more for being an Avenger. Quicksilver’s time in the MCU was almost as quick as his movements. Portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, he appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron when he and twin sister Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch) were introduced as potential allies for Ultron. However, the duo nobly chose to protect others instead, with Pietro Maximoff sacrificing himself to save Hawkeye and the survivors of Ultron's attack.

Shockingly, he hasn’t come back yet. Maybe it’s not meant to be. And no, we're not counting WandaVision's clever bait-and-switch when the X-Men saga's Quicksilver Evan Peters showed up only to for us all to find out he was an actor charmed by Agatha Harkness.

X-Men we hope to see join the MCU soon

We've discussed how five X-Men characters have appeared in the MCU thus far, but that's only scratching the surface of what's possible. The X-Men family could be the biggest in all of comics; that means countless of them haven't appeared. Among them are the upcoming ten characters we would love to see.

Let's take a look at why they should appear in the MCU and why they’ll make an impact when they do.

Wolverine (Logan and Laura)

We know Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool and Wolverine, but will he become the primary Logan in that universe, or will another actor take over? Either way, we need to see more of Logan as a full-time X-Man and not just a one-and-done.

Everyone wants to see Logan in the MCU, but don’t forget Laura, too! Dafne Keen showed the world that Laura Kinney has a place in the movies when she played her in 2017's Logan, and we would love to see her reprise the role in the MCU. 

Rogue

Everyone loves Rogue. She’s powerful, and beautiful, and has become a leader in Marvel Comics (on the Avengers and X-Men). She has the potential to do all of that and more in the MCU. All she needs is to debut and fans will gravitate to whatever she’s in.

While Anna Paquin did a great job as Rogue in the X-Men movies, fans were divided over some of the creative choices involving the character, specifically how it didn't feel anything like her. This could right that wrong if we get a more comic-accurate version of Rogue.

Cyclops

X-Men ‘97 reminded fans what Cyclops is capable of. That was in an animated project. Imagine what he’ll do during live-action. Hopefully, he’s not underutilized like he was in the 20th Century Fox movies.

James Marsden's performance in the X-Men films was great, but the scripts didn't give Mr. Scott Summers much to work with, and fans were left feeling very short-changed by the way he was treated. Marvel Studios shouldn't have a problem fixing that this time around.

Jean Grey

Jean Grey had good outings in all of the X-Men movies. Even if the films themselves weren’t good, she was, with both Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner delivering in the role. There’s no reason to think this won’t continue when the character makes her MCU debut.

That being said, the Phoenix Saga shouldn’t be a focal point. If Marvel does choose to tell that story, let that happen naturally instead of rushing towards it like the Fox films did (twice).

Multiple Man

Admittedly, this is a personal pick. Multiple Man is an interesting character with a lot of depth. The right actor could make him a household name especially if they pull off his different personalities.

Marvel Studios has the chance to make Multiple Man a core character in both the X-Men and the MCU and that would be great to see. Why not give the character the Guardians of the Galaxy treatment and turn him into a star?

Storm

Storm is likely the mutant people want to see most. She’s among the most revolutionary and powerful superheroes ever. It’s a shame Alexandra Shipp wasn’t given more time to shine in the role when she portrayed her in the Fox prequel X-Men movies. She would have slayed this role if the scripts gave her more to do, and there is no doubt that she would have done it again if she were to play Ororo Munroe in the MCU.

Iceman

It may be too punny to say Bobby Drake appearing would be cool to see, but this writer doesn’t care. Iceman is an omega-level mutant powerful enough to freeze hell (read Amazing X-Men No. 2 for more on that).

In a world with Thor and the Hulk, you need a hero like that. He’s also a character that needs a redo after his appearance in the 20th Century Fox movies.

Gambit

The smooth Cajun should be among the first X-Men to appear in the MCU. He’s popular enough that fans would take note, but not so much that it overshadows everything going on.

After the character was overlooked in the Fox franchise, this is the time for Gambit to get that definitive live-action portrayal. We know Marvel can give it to us!

Apocalypse

En Sabah Nur needs a better outing than X-Men: Apocalypse. I don’t blame Oscar Isaac for the underwhelming villain in the 2016; he committed and gave it his all, but the material wasn't worthy of the performance. Now is the chance to right that wrong.

Apocalypse should be one of the X-Men’s most powerful and proficient villains. And, like Thanos, fans should sympathize with him.

Monet St. Croix

Monet St. Croix is everything you want from a character. Deadly, powerful, intelligent, and self-assured with a hint of insecurity. Monet is underrated but will be a star if and when she debuts in the MCU.

Ina a world as vast and ambitious as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Monet would still find a way to stand out, and with the right actor playing her, she could be a show-stealer.

What X-Men do you want to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know on our Instagram and Twitter.