Though it has yet to be announced, an MCU X-Men movie is inevitable, especially seeing as She-Hulk just teased Cyclops. Just as the X-Men franchise is famously convoluted when it comes to timelines and continuity, it isn't clear whether the movie will see the Fox movies' actors return, completely reboot the series, or be a mix of both.
While Jackman's return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 makes things even more confusing, Redditors have debated which mutants should be in the MCU X-Men movie line-up. Between some fan favorites and a character that fans have been waiting to see on the big screen for over a decade, this is the ultimate X-Men roster.
Cyclops
As Wolverine's popularity grew exponentially in the 2000s, Cyclops unfairly got sidelined in the movies. NeptuneOW thinks that the in-development MCU movie should right that wrong and that Cyclops should be one of the main five members. The Redditor simply notes, "As long as Cyclops is there I’m cool."
Cyclops will hopefully be more three-dimensional if he is in the next movie. He became pretty one-note in the 2000s films, as he barely had a character arc, and his whole personality became jealous of Logan. And in the prequels, the character was also completely underused, especially in X-Men: Apocalypse. The next X-Men movie should depict Cyclops as the leader he's known to be.
Rogue
Rogue was seemingly the main character in the early X-Men movies, especially in the first film, as audiences were introduced to the world of mutants through the eyes of the teenager. And MehWhiteShark wants to see Rogue return as one of the main X-Men in the upcoming MCU film. Seemingly a critic of the way she was handled in the first movies, the Redditor notes, "I really want to finally see Rogue done correctly."
Rogue also had some of the best character development, but fans never saw her fully grow into the seasoned superhero that she was in the comic books or even in the animated series. The reboot could introduce an older Rogue as opposed to retelling the story of her enrolling at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
X-23
As it has just been announced that Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, some fans aren't as ecstatic as others and think that it ruins Logan's perfect ending. While it'll be interesting to see how the movie works around that, it also leaves one huge question unanswered. It's unknown whether X-23 (Dafne Keen) will ever return, as it was hinted that she'd go on to become a ruthless antihero at the end of Logan.
Toshimoko29 wants to see Keen return in the next X-Men film, positing, "My hope is they include Dafne Keen as X-23 and don’t include Wolverine. They maintain continuity for existing fans but also avoid any comparisons to Jackman. Plus she’s about the right age for the character now." That idea would confuse the timeline even further, especially if she's fighting alongside new iterations of Cyclops, Storm, and others. Also, X-23 was introduced around Wolverine's final days, which would leave a huge loophole about canonical elements to the MCU.
Wolverine
Though Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine, there'll undoubtedly be a new iteration of the character when the MCU eventually decides to introduce the X-Men. And AdanWarlock certainly isn't the only one who wants to see the character, but they also argue that there shouldn't be an X-Men movie without him.
The Redditor comments, "Nothing should exist without Wolverine." As Logan is by far the most popular mutant in the franchise, casting Wolverine will likely be a priority for the movie over at Marvel Studios, and many fans have their own choices. Some even want to see Danny DeVito cast as Logan.
Angel
TheJackOfDarkness thinks Angel should finally get the movie he deserves. The Redditor thinks he should even take priority over Wolverine, arguing, "Angel was done dirty in the Fox-verse movies, so for me I really need him to be in it. And I hope the mutants that are famous like Wolverine and Storm come in much later. They gotta do it differently than what has been seen."
Angel has been butchered in both of the movies that he featured in, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse. Those films are considered the two very worst releases in the main X-Men series, and the portrayal of Angel didn't exactly help matters. The character deserves much better, and even though he isn't exactly an A-tier X-Men character, he could finally be adapted well in MCU's X-Men film.
Gambit
Gambit has only appeared once in the X-Men series, as he shared the screen with Logan in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Unfortunately, just like Deadpool in the movie, he didn't get the portrayal the character deserved. A Gambit solo movie was planned with Channing Tatum playing the titular mutant, but that was stuck in development hell for years before it was canceled when Disney acquired Fox.
MehWhiteShark wants to see Gambit as one of the main five of the team, but adds, "I'm just beyond grateful that they didn't move forward with Channing Tatum as Gambit. That was an odd choice in casting & I was not thrilled when they announced it." As fans have been teased for years about a movie about the coolest mutant, Marvel Studios owes it to audiences to introduce the character early. However, to the Redditor's dismay, fans want Tatum as Gambit in the MCU movie.
Colossus
Colossus was never that beloved of a character, especially not by general audiences, who probably had no clue who he was before seeing Deadpool. However, the 2016 movie introduced viewers to him, and they immediately fell in love with the brawn but naive mutant.
ManitouWakinyan thinks Colossus totally deserves a seat at the table, along with a couple of others. The Redditor notes, "Thinking about who a new 'first 5' could be with this in mind... I like the sound of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Rogue, Forge?" With Colossus being a main part of the Deadpool series, he could be the surprising thread that ties everything together.
Professor X
There's no X-Men without Charles Xavier, as the professor formed the superhero mutant team, so it's an almost certainty that he'll be a part of the next X-Men movie. The character has even already appeared in the MCU, as Patrick Stewart reprised the role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though it still isn't clear how that variant fits into the universe at large.
However, Kevomac has an interesting fan-casting for the bald elder-statesman. The Redditor wants "Kevin Hart as Professor X." That might be a joke, especially as they add that they want to see Dwayne Johnson as Beast, but that could certainly happen in a Deadpool movie or some other universe in the multiverse.
Nightcrawler (& Beast)
HigherCalibur thinks that Nightcrawler, along with Beast, has the potential to be the catalyst for some great stories in the MCU. The Redditor posits, "These two give you some examples of why mutants can't all just live undercover with humans; they also give you a scientist to do expository dialog and someone who isn't American to add international flavor."
Nightcrawler was introduced in the opening scene of X-Men 2, and it's one of the most epic superhero movie openings ever, as it saw the mutant break into the White House in an attempt to assassinate the president while operatic music plays. But since then, Nightcrawler is another character who has been totally underutilized.
Marvel Girl
Jean Gray has been known by a lot of aliases, most notably Dark Phoenix, but one alias that she has never been called by in the movies is Marvel Girl, and JulixgMC wants to see that iteration of the character. The Redditor comments, "Marvel Girl, AKA Jean Grey, maybe she was inspired by Carol in this universe, like Kamala, that would be fun."
However, Jean Gray has been prominent throughout the entire series, and the Dark Phoenix storyline has been told so many times to the point that Dark Phoenix absolutely bombed at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). But the fresh take on the character that the user mentions could be perfect for the MCU.