Black Panther 2 Should Introduce MCU’s Storm (Before X-Men)

With the impending arrival of the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the best choices for the introduction of mutants in Phase 4 is including the weather-manipulating Storm in Black Panther 2. Ororo Munroe, aka Storm, has been a main member and frequent leader of the X-Men in the comics ever since her first appearance in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 1975. She has an extensive history with the X-Men, the Avengers, and a very close relationship with King T'Challa, the Black Panther.

Black Panther 2 is part of Phase 4 of the MCU, following the story of T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) after the events of the first Black Panther film and his subsequent roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Fans are already speculating whether the threat will come from Latveria with Doctor Doom, Atlantis with Namor (after an underwater earthquake near Africa was mentioned in Endgame), or somewhere else entirely.

One of the most exciting possibilities, however, is the involvement of his wife, Storm. Disney's purchase of Fox and all of its properties finally allows Marvel to start adding some of the most prominent characters from the comics in the film franchise, like the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, and that means she could be the first major mutant to appear in the MCU. Here's why introducing her in Black Panther 2 is the best possible option.

Black Panther & Storm's History In Marvel Comics

Black Panther and Storm History In Marvel Comics

Storm's parents are killed in Egypt when she's a child, leaving her alone to wander in the desert. After she's forced to steal and pickpocket, she decides to flee to Kenya, where her mother was born. On her way there, she uses her mutant powers to stop a group of white supremacists from kidnapping a boy who turns out to be a young T'Challa, as seen in Marvel Team-Up #100. This is retconned in the 2006 Storm mini-series to place T'Challa as the savior, but it also underlines that their love for each other is authentic from the start. The two heroes part ways until they meet again as adults when they join forces to take down the leader of the same group who tried to abduct T'Challa years before, Andreas de Ruyter.

It's only until the events of Civil War, one of the biggest events in the history of Marvel, that the couple can no longer hold back their feelings for each other. Black Panther proposes to Storm and she accepts, despite so many years apart. In Black Panther #18, they celebrate their marriage ceremony, gathering numerous figures from around the hero community amidst the major conflict. Their union is such a big deal that the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men announce a “Civil War Cease-Fire Event” to celebrate. Afterward, Storm distances from the X-Men temporarily to become Queen of Wakanda. However, their loyalty to the X-Men and the Avengers/Wakanda begins to threaten their relationship.

Despite a wedding so important that it briefly reconciles the Marvel universe, it takes another major event to put it in jeopardy. Avengers vs X-Men flips the heroes against each other once again into two factions - none other than the teams Black Panther and Storm respectively belong to. While the Avengers are hiding in Wakanda, a Phoenix-possessed Namor floods the kingdom, killing thousands in the process. This is the last straw. By the time Storm comes back to Wakanda, Black Panther has already annulled their marriage. The couple splits up respectfully and remains distant, but some signs of a possible reconciliation between Storm and Black Panther surface afterward.

How Black Panther 2 Could Introduce Storm Into The MCU

The role of Storm in Black Panther 2 could go one of two ways: Either she gets a brief cameo that sets her up as a future key character in the Black Panther narrative and the MCU as a whole, or she plays a major part straight away in the sequel. This dictates whether the moment of her introduction lines up with with the time frame in the comics when she hasn't seen T'Challa since they met as children, or if the circumstances that make them cross paths align better with something like Namor's invasion of Wakanda (unconnected from the Avengers vs X-Men storyline, as it's too early for such an event). The on-and-off nature of their relationship allows for a wide range of possible encounters.

Nothing that's known so far about Wakanda and T'Challa in the MCU presents an obstacle for Storm's connection with him to develop in a completely comic-accurate fashion. At this point, she could be the subject of legend in the African countries that surround Wakanda, with Storm yet to be recognized as a mutant and alluded to only as "The Windrider", an unknown figure who has been seen manipulating the weather. Another comic-accurate possibility could establish her as the Queen of Kenya after she returned to her mother's homeland and was accepted as the rightful heir. In several story arcs, she's regarded as a princess, a queen, and even a goddess - including the House of M comics, where she's considered "The Queen of Mutantkind" and "savior of a continent". This could be the start of a complex relationship between her land and the recently-uncovered Wakanda.

Of course, Marvel could devise a completely new connection between Storm and Black Panther. Substantial modifications to the origins of a major character are not something new in the MCU. Back in its dawn, the first Thor movie brought the Norse god to Earth with his alter ego Donald Blake as only a small reference in the form of a fake name tag. In later installments, the origin of Stormbreaker and Thor's relationship with the Guardians of the Galaxy are other major variations to his comic book counterpart. None of this was detrimental to his character, and the same could happen to Storm if she needs any change that helps her fit better within the established universe.

Why It Makes Sense to Introduce Storm Before Other X-Men

Storm Introduced in the MCU Phase 4 Before Other X Men

Storm's strong connection to Black Panther, Wakanda, the X-Men, and the Avengers makes her one of the most influential candidates to bind them all together. The marriage between T'Challa and Storm in the middle of the comic book version of Civil War made her arguably the most important mutant in the world and it put the spotlight on the advocacy for mutants, which can be one of the main plotlines in the upcoming phases of the MCU. She is a major figure in many of the most important affairs that rule the state of the Earth, not only its weather.

Rather than exploring the dawn of the X-Men in the 60s, like Fox's X-Men: First Class and its subsequent sequels already did, the narrative of mutants in the MCU could depart from the Sokovia Accords from Captain America: Civil War and their role in superhuman regulations, as well as the Blip from Avengers: Infinity War and its influence on the existence of mutants. The introduction of mutants via Storm would also help reinforce her strong image from the comics, in contrast to the relegated presence she got in the Fox movies - as just another team member and another romantic interest to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

It makes sense for Marvel to build the team gradually through multiple movies, rather than all at once. The expectation for an X-Men team-up would be similar to the fruitful expectation for the Avengers team-up before the first ensemble film. This is more likely with the idea of Wolverine getting his first appearance in a fight with the Hulk before he joins the X-Men, like in the comics. It's the perfect chance to develop each mutant to their fullest in the span of several movies - just like Marvel did with its most beloved characters, and it works even more now that some of them are gone for good.

How Storm Can Setup Other Mutants In The MCU

It's up to Marvel to decide what road to take regarding the nature of mutants and their powers in the MCU. Whether through the manipulation of the X-Gene by the Eternals, a history of concealed mutants who secretly thrived among humans all along, or another alternative that defies all expectations, the road to the X-Men will undoubtedly be different from anything that has been seen before. The inclusion of Storm in Black Panther 2 would be the first step to determine their absence and define the way they're going to show up in future films.

There's one theory that fits: Just like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were enhanced by the mind stone, the gamma energy released by the six stones in the two snaps from Infinity War and Endgame kickstarts Storm's powers as a full-fledged mutant. The confirmation of her status as the first official mutant in the MCU itself would be a setup: The same happens to many people around the world, and the age of mutants is about to begin. That's also why they become hated and subjected to discrimination, unlike superheroes like Captain America and Iron Man - they're the side effect of a worldwide genocide. Maybe the last key to their existence is the utterance of a few words by one of the first mutants in the MCU, Wanda Maximoff, in WandaVision or Doctor Stange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Black Panther 2 most likely won't center on the inception of mutantkind, and it may not be the first Marvel release to set up the X-Men narrative, but it could be the stepping stone to signal the arrival of the cardinal X-Men members. Many other mutants could be introduced like Storm and make even more sense than if they got brought together as a team right away, as is the case with Kitty Pryde in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Rogue in Captain Marvel 2. It's a rational decision to make in an already established universe with so many different plotlines and such an intricate history.

T'Challa already counts with a romantic interest from the first film, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and multiple plotlines to resolve in Black Panther 2 after his battles in defense of Wakanda and Earth itself turned his life upside down, some of which include his role as possible commander of SWORD - in pursuit of a stronger defense against extraterrestrial threats - as well as his feud with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and the rise of his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) to superhero. But the introduction of his wife Storm as the first official mutant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could definitely be the ultimate sign of a new age of heroes in the silver screen.

Next: Black Panther 2 Theory: Who Ruled Wakanda Between Infinity War & Endgame