Fantastic Four Introducing 1 X-Men Character Would Avoid An MCU Problem

Marvel Studios can avoid a major problem if Phase 6's Fantastic Four introduces one legendary X-Men hero. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige teased the MCU introductions of the Fantastic Four and mutants at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Soon after, development started on a Fantastic Four reboot for the MCU, originally with Spider-Man: Homecoming's Jon Watts attached to direct, though he was replaced by WandaVision's Matt Shakman in September 2022. Fantastic Four was revealed to be released as part of the MCU's Phase 6 at SDCC 2022, though details surrounding the film are still elusive.

Feige has confirmed that the MCU's Fantastic Four won't be an origin story, implying Marvel's First Family are already an operating team in the MCU. This poses the question as to where they've been all this time, a question many are also asking about the MCU's mutants. Marvel Studios began to introduce mutants into the MCU during Phase 4, with Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Namor being confirmed to be mutants. This slow introduction of mutantkind has raised excitement for the MCU's X-Men team, but Marvel Studios needs to be careful, as some Fox projects left a bad taste in audiences' mouths.

Jean Grey Was Found By The Fantastic Four In Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics' 1980 run of the Dark Phoenix Saga saw the mutant Jean Grey apparently lose her life after bonding with the cosmic Phoenix Force. However, the details of this storyline were retconned during 1986's Fantastic Four #286, which revealed that the Phoenix had made a copy of her body for its own use, and safely encased her original body in a cocoon that was buried at the bottom of Jamaica Bay. During this storyline, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four find the cocoon and realize that Jean's unconscious body is housed within, with no memory of her previous exposure to the Phoenix Force.

After recuperating with the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, Jean is reunited with the X-Men and eventually convinces them to form the new X-Factor team in response to the outlaw status of the current X-Men. In subsequent storylines, Jean battles her Phoenix Force clone, who has taken to naming herself Madelyne Pryor, eventually absorbing Madelyne's memories and the memories of the Phoenix, which she contends with over several Marvel Comics stories. This is a pivotal moment in Jean Grey's life, and it all started with her discovery at the hands of Earth's other heroes, primarily the Fantastic Four.

Phase 6’s Fantastic Four Can Tease The MCU’s Jean Grey

reed richards aka mister fantastic in doctor strange 2

Though not much is known about the upcoming events of Phase 6's Fantastic Four movie, the team's importance to this part of Jean Grey's Marvel Comics story means that Marvel Studios could use the opportunity to introduce one of the most recognizable members of the X-Men. Feige's confirmation that Fantastic Four won't be an origin story for the team suggests that they could have already been operating for a while, only in the background of the MCU. Though it's unlikely that Marvel Studios will introduce major X-Men characters alongside the Fantastic Four, there is another way this Jean Grey story can be set up.

One of the trademarks of any Marvel Studios project is the post-credits scenes that are often used to tease major upcoming plots, introduce new characters, or even just provide some comic relief. Jean Grey could easily be teased in the post-credits scene for Fantastic Four, perhaps with the team finding her cocoon or being alerted to a burst of cosmic energy emanating from the Phoenix. Introducing Jean Grey in the moments after the Dark Phoenix Saga would be a clever move by Marvel Studios, helping to avoid one massive problem they're facing in the wake of Fox's X-Men franchise.

The MCU Should Debut Jean Grey After The Phoenix Saga

sophie turner as jean grey in x-men dark phoenix

While the Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the X-Men's biggest storylines from Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios should avoid developing a direct adaptation of the storyline, at least for a number of years. Fox already did it twice, and was met with a poor response each time. 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand adapted the story with Famke Janssen's Jean Grey in the original X-Men timeline, and 2019's X-Men: Dark Phoenix attempted the story with Sophie Turner's younger Jean Grey. Both times, the loose adaptation of the comic plot and poor quality of storytelling and visual effects alienated viewers, so Marvel Studios definitely shouldn't launch into yet another Dark Phoenix retelling.

Instead, Marvel Studios can tell a new version of the story by introducing Jean Grey in the moments after the Dark Phoenix Saga rather than detailing the lead-up to and events during the storyline. Having the Fantastic Four find her cocoon and attempt to piece together who Jean is and what happened to her would be a completely original story for the MCU and could reignite interest in the Dark Phoenix Saga, with the potential to tell the story later on. This would also lean more into Marvel Studios' current idea of introducing mutants by establishing that Jean has been living in the MCU for a long time already.

What Jean Grey’s Phase 6 Debut Would Mean For The Multiverse Saga

Debuting a mutant as high-profile as Jean Grey in Phase 6's Fantastic Four would set the MCU's X-Men off on an incredibly strong footing. Jean is one of Marvel Comics' most powerful characters, with or without the Phoenix Force, so her introduction into the MCU would be a great way to level the playing field and establish just how strong mutants will be. This would also mark a huge step forward in Marvel Studios' integration of mutants into the franchise, as until now, the idea of mutation has only been briefly discussed. Introducing a proud mutant like Jean Grey could help other mutant characters to expose themselves.

Phase 6 will see a major shift in this regard, as Deadpool 3 will bring at least two iconic mutants into the MCU since Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman will be reprising their Fox roles of Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. With only a few months between the releases of Deadpool 3 and Fantastic Four, it's even more likely that Fantastic Four will introduce more mutants to the MCU, and Jean Grey would be perfect. Many are expecting the phases following the Multiverse Saga to delve into mutants and the X-Men, so the debut of X-Men characters such as Wolverine and Jean Grey in Phase 6 would provide the strongest foundation.