Now that Disney and Fox have officially announced the close of their merger there is plenty of fantastic news coming to phase four of the MCU and beyond. With the merger finally coming to a conclusion and solidifying papa Disney’s firm grasp on the world (of Marvel) as we know it, we can expect Disney to take control of thousands of characters for potential use in their cinematic universe.
While Spider-Man’s rights are notably still with Sony Pictures, Disney and Marvel will be gaining the right to some of Marvel’s most iconic characters. From the Mouthiest merc in Marvel to the fantastic first family of Marvel comics, there’s plenty of worthy additions to be excited about.
The Rise Of The Mutants
The first decade and some odd years have had a very distinct lack of not only an entire race but even the name of that race, Mutants. While Wanda and Pietro Maximoff are both mutants that have appeared in the MCU, they’ve never actually been referred to as mutants.
Now that the Disney/Fox merger has gone through, fans can expect a flood of both mutants and the word mutant in the MCU films. The only question fans have left to ask is: Just how long will we need to wait for the before the mutants make their debut in the MCU?
The X-Men
This one is kind of a no-brainer, but with the introduction of mutants into the MCU comes the introduction of the most famous group of superpowered civil rights activists there is. Led by the surprisingly morally ambiguous Charles Xavier, he and his band of merry mutants are certain to make an appearance in the upcoming phases of the MCU.
While it does seem likely that Disney and Marvel will completely reboot the franchise, fans of the X-Men are hoping that now that the properties have returned to Marvel, the company will breathe new life into the struggling franchise. And with Jonathan Hickman’s recently announced run on two separate X-Men comics, it seems like it couldn’t be a better time to be an X-Men fan. Hopefully, they can rise like a phoenix. Not a great joke, but once you write it, as John Mulaney might say, it stays in.
Avengers V. X-Men
For nearly a decade fans of the MCU have wrongfully assumed that they would never see the X-Men in Marvel’s cinematic universe. Well, now that Disney has gobbled up both Marvel and Fox like a cannibalistic hungry hungry hippo, fans will finally get the chance to see a (mostly) unified cinematic universe.
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With the introduction of the X-Men comes the introduction of a whole slew of new problems for the Avenger (or whatever’s left of them after the events of Endgame). For starters, the mutants hold in their ranks some of the most powerful beings to exist in the Marvel multiverse. With reality warpers like Franklin Richards and Matthew Malloy, who even needs an infinity gauntlet?
Deadpool: The Mouthiest Avenger
Like a superpowered Russian nesting doll, the entry of mutants into the MCU begets the X-Men who, in turn, beget Deadpool. While many fans assumed that the foul-mouthed, quick-witted, chimichanga-loving merc with a mouth would never be granted access to Disney’s version of the MCU, it seems that Deadpool has managed to find a new home in the MCU.
Deadpool may not be the most intelligent, prettiest, or even the most powerful of the newer line of Disney leads, but he certainly is the toughest to look at. And the most violent. The good news for fans of the recent films is that it does seem like Deadpool may actually get to keep his R-rating.
The Silver Surfer
Apart from some other fantastic additions that we’ll get into later, Silver Surfer is another character who has been both criminally underused and underutilized. If Marvel is really trying to expand the cinematic universe they’ve built in an intergalactic way, then there’s no better character than the Silver Surfer to travel along with.
A film following the disillusioned and indentured surfer has the possibility to take us further away from earth than any film before it. Following the tragic tale of a hero forced into serving one of the greatest threats to life in the universe has amazing potential. It’d be a shame to see his story mashed into another Fantastic Four film.
Uncertain Future For The New Mutants
While there is plenty of good news coming out of the Disney/ Fox merger some of the less-than-good-news has been reserved almost entirely for the fans, cast, and crew of the New Mutants. With the MCU devastated by the meaty purple sausages, Thanos uses to fill his shiny bedazzled glove, and the X-Men universe coming to a close, that leaves the future of the New Mutants film up in the air.
Will it still make an appearance in theaters across the globe? Will it end up as a straight to Hulu (or Disney+) feature? No one knows. Not even the cast.
The Fantastic Four
One of the biggest changes to the Marvel cinematic landscape comes in the form of the first family of Marvel comics, the Fantastic Four. It’s been a few years since audiences have had to stomach another one of Fox’s attempts to capitalize on a property they clearly didn’t understand, so it’s good thing Disney managed to seal the deal before Fox whiffed another reboot.
Hopefully, Marvel has taken the lessons of the last three failures to heart and will be able to pull the lost first family out of the Negative Zone before it’s too late. Of course, you can’t aspire to the Fantastic without, in turn, opening the door to Doom.
Dr. Doom
Look, we don't want to overstate the situation in any way, shape, or form, but any fans of Dr. Doom out there are well aware that Doom has been far more mishandled than any other character brought to film. Ever. Full-stop. Not only is it a national crisis, but now that Disney owns the Earth (trademark pending), it’s a global crisis as well. All this is to say that Doom shouldn't be forced into another Fantastic Four film. Doom has a rich backstory, filled with guerilla warfare, magic and trips to Hell.
All hallmarks of the classic hero’s journey. While fans (and citizens of the MCU) may think that Mysterio is like a mixture of Iron Man and Thor, just wait until they get a load of Doom, the perfect amalgamation of Iron Man and Dr. Strange. There is everyone else, and then there is Doom.