Summary

• Mutants are now confirmed to exist in the MCU Phase 4 and beyond, as several Marvel Comics characters with mutant abilities have been introduced.
• Ms. Marvel is the first confirmed mutant in the mainline MCU, with a "mutation" in her DNA giving her powers.
• Professor X makes his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, canonizing the X-Men in another reality and hinting at their existence in the multiverse.

Multiple mutants are now confirmed to exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not long ago, mutants had absolutely no presence in the MCU. However, the MCU Phase 4 and on have changed that tremendously with a slew of major new developments and the introductions of several Marvel Comics characters.

Of course, it seems there’s still a long way to go before the X-Men will finally appear in the flesh. At this point in the MCU timeline, there are only teases that the X-Men exist as a group. Looking at the slate of upcoming MCU projects, it may be a long time before the studio puts together its first take on the team. That being said, it’s no secret that mutants are a part of the live-action world Marvel has built, and they'll only continue to get more important.

5 Ms. Marvel Was The First Confirmed Mutant In The Mainline MCU

Kamala Khan First Appeared In Ms. Marvel (2022)

Ms. Marvel has been both a mutant and an Inhuman in the comic books, and it seems the same may be true in the MCU. It's left unclear for most of Ms. Marvel where Kamala's powers come from, but the season finale confirmed that there's a "mutation" in her DNA. While Kamala's Quantum Band augments her abilities, it seems her powers start from her DNA. The Marvels seems to have subtly confirmed that Kamala is also an Inhuman in the MCU, but given her lack of Terrigen Gas exposure, it's unclear if this is intentional or an editing mistake.

4 Namor Is The MCU's Oldest Mutant

Namor First Appeared In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

It’s true that Ms. Marvel is the first MCU mutant, but in-universe, she’s be preceded by at least one other character. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Talokanil may all have superhuman abilities due to their Vibranium exposure, but Namor is exceptionally powerful as a mutant. Namor traditionally doesn't associate much with the X-Men or other mutants, so he's a perfect character to join the franchise before mutants are introduced en masse. Namor survives the events of Wakanda Forever, but it's hitherto unclear when or where he'll appear next.

3 Professor X Canonizes X-Men (In Another Reality)

Charles Xavier First Appeared In X-Men (2000) But Made His MCU Debut In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

Arguably, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ biggest cameo was Patrick Stewart’s Professor X. Thanks to Marvel’s decision to include him as a member of Earth-838’s Illuminati team, the X-Men became MCU canon sooner than expected (albeit through the multiverse). His presence in the movie doesn’t prove that the X-Men exist on Earth-616, but they do demonstrate that his world -- and presumably, the people in it – are out there in the multiverse. Not unlike the situations with the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions of Spider-Man, Fox’s X-Men appear to occupy their own reality in the MCU’s multiverse (for now).

2 Mr. Immortal Is An Unconfirmed Mutant

Mr. Immortal First Appeared In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)

She-Hulk introduced Mr. Immortal, a character who can come back to life immediately after sustaining a fatal injury. While the show didn’t explain or even question the origin of his abilities, the comics shed insight into what makes Mr. Immortal so special. Like so many others in the Marvel Universe, his natural-born gifts stem from the X-Gene. It stands to reason that the MCU’s Mr. Immortal benefits from the same genetic mutation, though whether or not he truly is a mutant has never been outright stated and may remain unconfirmed unless he returns in She-Hulk season 2 or a different MCU show.

1 Beast May Finally Explain How The MCU Gets Its X-Men

Beast First Appeared In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) But Made His MCU Debut In The Marvels (2023)

The Marvels' post-credits scene delivered a shock when Monica Rambeau, trapped in another reality, awakens to see the X-Men's Beast (voiced by Kelsey Grammer as in X-Men: The Last Stand). Beast looks slightly different than he did in the older Fox X-Men movies, so it's still unclear if this Beast is an entirely new version of if the character has simply undergone some visual updates since 2006. Regardless, re-introducing the X-Men as inhabitants of another multiverse timeline seems to move forward the theory that the team will join the MCU from another reality and not simply pop up in-world.

Bonus: Wolverine May Have Been Teased In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law strongly hinted at Wolverine being in the MCU with news headline reading, “Man fights with metal claws in bar brawl.” Technically, this could reference someone else, but none better matches the description than Wolverine, especially when considering his reputation for getting into bar fights. Since then, it’s been revealed that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will join the MCU in Deadpool 3, where he’ll make an appearance alongside Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with the Mouth. For now, it’s unclear if Jackman’s character is already in the MCU (as She-Hulk indicated) or if he’ll be showing up via the multiverse.

Which Other Characters Could Be Mutants In The MCU?

Marvel has a number of other MCU characters who could also be mutants. One in particular has already been introduced. When Jennifer Walters came to Abomination’s ranch, one of the characters she crossed paths with was El Aguila, a Zorro-inspired superhero in Marvel Comics. In the episode, he showed off his ability to emit bioelectric energy from his sword. Not unlike how the show made use of Mr. Immortal, the series didn’t touch on what makes El Aguila capable of such feats, but given that the character is a mutant in the comic books, it’s not hard to imagine the same explanation holding true in the MCU.

It’s possible that Marvel will apply this approach to other MCU characters as well, since El Aguila, Mr. Immortal, and Namor the Sub-Mariner will soon be joined by additional Marvel Comics mutants. Sabra, an Israeli superhero and mutant with enhanced strength and reflexes, will be played by Shira Haas in Captain America: New World Order. Regardless, it seems that the slow trickle of mutants will soon come to an end and that mutants will join the MCU in full soon - either during or before a proper X-Men reboot.

Key Release Dates

• 

  Deadpool 3

  Release Date:

  2024-07-26

• 

  Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date:

  2025-02-14

• 

  Marvel's Fantastic Four

  Release Date:

  2025-05-02

• 

  Marvel's Thunderbolts

  Release Date:

  2025-07-25

• 

  Blade (2025)

  Release Date:

  2025-11-07

• 

  Avengers: The Kang Dynasty

  Release Date:

  2026-05-01

• 

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date:

  2027-05-07