After the reveals in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios is facing a repeat of their Eternals mistakes when bringing the X-Men into the MCU. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever expanded on Marvel's integration of mutants in the MCU by introducing Namor, the King of the underwater nation of Talokan, as a mutant who has been living in the background of the MCU for centuries. Namor joins the likes of Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) and Earth-838's Professor X (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as one of a few select mutants that have already been introduced in Marvel Studios' slow and steady inclusion of the species.

It's only a matter of time before Marvel Studios bring the X-Men into the MCU after their previous time over at Fox. While this is exciting for many who've been desperate to see the mutant team in the existing MCU, Marvel's recent introduction of mutants creates a problem when bringing across a whole team of super-powered individuals. This effect has already been seen in previous Marvel Studios projects, most notably Eternals, which tried to integrate ten new superheroes into the MCU's history but became one of Phase 4's most controversial projects.

Related: Marvel Confirms How Long Mutants Have Been In The MCU

The X-Men Shouldn't Exist In The MCU Already

The cast of the X-Men (2000)

Since the finalization of Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019, many have been wondering how Marvel Studios will bring the mutants and the X-Men into the MCU without damaging the complex storylines of the already-established franchise. It would perhaps be preferable to introduce the X-Men in a style similar to X-Men: First Class, which shows the formation of the original X-Men team in the Fox universe. However, it could also be revealed that the X-Men are already a fully-functioning team in the MCU and have been operating in the background of the action that viewers have seen, which might pose an even bigger problem.

The confirmation of Namor's mutation in the MCU suggests that Marvel Studios is giving themselves the opportunity of explaining away the mutant absence by saying they've been in hiding all this time, meaning the X-Men could have already been formed. This shouldn't be the case, as the overarching narrative of the franchise is simply too complex and intricate to insert a fully-functional team on the magnitude of the X-Men. Mutant references and the X-Men should be brought into the MCU slowly, not all in one go with the explanation that they've always been around and simply not seen, especially after this technique has already been attempted and arguably failed in Eternals.

How Marvel Can Avoid An X-Men Thanos Problem

Thanos in front of art for the Eternals.

2021's Eternals introduced ten new heroes to the MCU but revealed that they, in fact, weren't new at all, instead confirming that human history had been shaped by the team. While this is an interesting idea that could have been explained better, the fact that these remarkable individuals had been absent in some of the MCU's biggest battles didn't really make much sense in the eyes of the viewers. This argument was particularly focused on Thanos' attacks in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame since the Eternals could have been the perfect addition to the final Avengers: Endgame battle.

Marvel Studios can avoid a repeat of this Eternals mistake by not introducing the X-Men as a fully-formed team in the MCU. Rather, they should be brought in slowly, with time spent on each introduction, akin to the way the original Avengers team was set up in Phase 1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever might have been a huge step forward for the MCU's mutants and X-Men, but it shouldn't be the end of explaining their inevitable big-screen debut.

MORE: The MCU's Mutant Introduction Is Really Weird (But Also Perfect)

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