When Disney acquired Fox the most exciting thought for many fans was how the Marvel characters Fox owned the rights to could integrate into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The new Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer opens up a ton of possibilities with the introduction of the Multiverse.
That, plus the addition of Disney+, which arrives this fall, gives Marvel a big chance to explain why the X-Men and Fantastic Four -- if they existed in the same world as the rest of Marvel Comics characters -- did not show up to fight alongside everyone in the battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. With new heroes coming, here is a look at how Marvel can introduce the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the MCU.
THE SNAP CREATED MUTANTS
One of the ways that Marvel could suddenly introduce mutants is to have them created from the snap. Now, this is slightly controversial and could cause a backlash, but it is a possibility. The fact is that mutants have always been Marvel's way to showcase discrimination and prejudice, an allegory for both race relations and sexual orientation.
The X-Men are mutants because they were born that way and it is not something they have control over. If the snap gives a bunch of people powers -- making them mutants -- they still have no control but it takes away the "born that way" reasoning. With that said, it is one way that mutants could suddenly exist in the MCU.
THE CELESTIALS
There is also a way to deal with this without worrying about the snap or the Multiverse. Mutants in the comics were created by the Celestials and it just so happens that one of the next movies Marvel is making in the MCU is The Eternals. Since they are introducing this cosmic group of heroes and villains, and they had something to do originally with the creation of mutants, this is a perfect opportunity.
The MCU would have to make some serious changes to the origins of mutants in the movies, but if the Celestials did create the possibility of the Homo Superior, it could be something that has been simmering and just now started to take effect. This means either the mutants just now developed their powers or they have always had them and they just hadn't manifested themselves openly yet.
A FAMILY OF EXPLORERS
The Fantastic Four are space explorers and that sets them up with a perfect story to introduce them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Multiverse is here, and while Spider-Man is battling Mysterio and Nick Fury is organizing things on Earth, they need someone to investigate the rifts between the dimensions to make sure our Earth is safe.
Reed Richards is one of the most brilliant minds on the planet and this is a perfect chance to bring him and his family into the MCU. The story could be similar to the much-derided 2015 Fantastic Four movie but done right with Marvel telling the story. Reed tries to travel between the worlds and ends up in the accident that gives them powers. Marvel is the perfect choice not to make it so dark and broody -- the biggest downfall of the 2015 movie.
FOX IS ANOTHER EARTH
With the Multiverse, there is also a chance that the Marvel Cinematic Universe can follow the lead of DC on television. With Flash on one Earth and Supergirl on another and the '90s era Flash TV show on another, that allowed them to tell the stories of all the heroes and keep them separate.
What if there is another Earth outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe that includes the X-Men and maybe the Fantastic Four? It might be better to leave the FF out of this due to the lackluster movies but the X-Men, despite critics, have a lot of fans and Marvel could carry on with those actors outside the MCU continuity.
DISNEY+ OR HULU
For years, Marvel has watched its properties remain separated for a long time. While Fox is now under the Disney banner and has a working agreement with Sony, it has almost any character who matters back in its control. Despite this, it has still worked on TV shows outside the MCU, from the Marvel Netflix heroes to the Hulu shows like Runaways. There is also the Fox TV shows.
Disney+ could allow Marvel to use characters like the Fantastic Four, Daredevil and others without worrying about a new movie or about mixing the MCU shared universe up too much. Disney+ is mostly using the MCU continuity right now but it doesn't have to.
LEGION
Legion is ending after its next season with the story finished for this television series. However, as Constantine proved, ending one story does not mean that a character has to disappear. There have already been hints that characters like Daredevil could return on Disney+ or Hulu but have a brand-new story not connected to its Netflix shows.
But what does Legion have to do with all this? He is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics and can distort reality. If anyone could make the mutants of Marvel suddenly show up without warning or explanation, it is David Haller.
THE SNAP BROUGHT THE CHARACTERS OVER
Earlier, we talked about the snap maybe creating mutants, which is a possibility but not a very good plan of attack. However, another idea is hinted at in the arrival of Mysterio to this Earth after his own was destroyed. If Mysterio can come over, why can't others and that brings up one of the snaps.
Whether it is Professor Hulk's snap or the one Iron Man did at the end, what happens if the snap not only brought everyone who died back from dust but also brought some unsuspecting mutants over from a parallel Earth? These are the X-Men, born mutants, who are now living in a world that does not know them -- a perfect way to relaunch that franchise.
GALACTUS
There is a way to not only bring the Fantastic Four to our Earth but also introduce Galactus and the Silver Surfer as well. Of course, Galactus survives by eating planets and Silver Surfer was his herald, leading him to unpopulated planets to help feed his master without watching millions of people die.
Now, with the tear in the Multiverse, allowing multiple Earths and a way to somehow cross over, the options for Galactus to feed grows to countless numbers. With Ego and the upcoming Eternals, the idea of seeing Galactus is not that strange anymore. Could Galactus break through the tear to our universe and his longtime enemies The Fantastic Four follow him through to make sure he doesn't destroy another Earth?
THE DARK PHOENIX
How does Dark Phoenix end? That is an interesting question and rumors indicate that the ending was changed quite drastically from a battle in outer space to a battle on Earth between Dark Phoenix and the X-Men. Here, it is important to understand the purpose of the Phoenix Force.
It is the nexus of all psionic energy that exists in every reality of the Multiverse. The entire purpose for its existence is to destroy the obsolete and then regrow new life. It is the death and life of the universe. Imagine if the Dark Phoenix destroys the world that the X-Men live in within the Fox universe as it is now obsolete and then regrows them in a new pocket of the Multiverse -- the MCU.
INCURSION
The Incursion is the name of the event that happened during the Secret Wars event in Marvel Comics. That saw the different Earth's converging and ended up with the main Marvel Universe -- Earth-616 -- and the Ultimate Universe -- Earth-1610 -- about to collide. The heroes from both Earths tried everything to save their worlds.
They failed, the two Earth's collided and everything ceased to exist -- until a new world formed with Doctor Doom as the ruler. That story ended with Molecule Man, possibly the most powerful character in existence, rebuilding Earth-616 and allowing some people from Earth-1610 to inhabit that world as well. With that, the X-Men and Fantastic Four, and just about anyone and everyone else, can be in the MCU instantly.