Jean Grey Is The MCU's First X-Men Member In This Clever Marvel Theory

The mutants are now officially part of the MCU following Ms. Marvel’s shocking reveal, and one fan theory suggests that Marvel is setting up Jean Grey to appear in The Marvels as the first X-Men member in the franchise. Three years after Disney acquired Fox, Ms. Marvel’s reveal about Kamala Khan’s powers is the closes that the MCU has come to openly discuss mutants on Earth-616. Patrick Stewart’s Professor X appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Disney+ is working on X-Men '97, but there is still no live-action X-Men movie, or TV show announced.

Up until the Ms. Marvel finale, there were no shortages of theories as to where and how the MCU would introduce mutants in the 616 universe. Many theorized that Thanos’ snap could have activated the Gene-X, while others believed that the mutants would be brought up from the multiverse due to an incursion. Instead of any overly-complicated explanation, Marvel simply dropped the word mutation at the end of Ms. Marvel as the episode played a rendition of the classic X-Men Animated Series theme song. That said, the fact that Ms. Marvel is a mutant in the MCU still leaves a lot of questions open, mostly regarding how the X-Men will be introduced.

Since Marvel decided to make Ms. Marvel a mutant, it is very unlikely that it will take a multiversal event for the rest of the mutants to be brought into the MCU. Therefore, it should not take long before other mutants are revealed in Phases 4, 5, and 6, even if it still takes a while for an X-Men movie or show. For example, Namor, who is a mutant in the comics, will be in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Wakanda Forever trailer hints that Marvel will keep Namor’s mutant origins, further cementing the idea that the X-Men-related characters are already in the MCU. Based on that idea, a fan theory (via Reddit) predicts who the first actual X-Men mutant in the MCU will be – Jean Grey. According to theory, Jean Grey will appear in The Marvels as a nod to the fact she was originally called Marvel Girl in the comics. Jean Grey in The Marvels would work on a meta-level, given the title of the movie, but it would also make sense given how the MCU is introducing the mutants.

Jean Grey’s Marvel Girl Name Explained

Jean Grey using her powers in X-Men comics.

Jean Grey has been a member of the X-Men since the conception of the superhero team. On her original appearance in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-Men, Jean Grey had a superhero alias – Marvel Girl. While the Marvel Girl title never became as established as Scott Summer’s Cyclops or Bobby Drake’s Iceman, Jean Grey’s X-Men name continued to be used for years. It was only during the ‘90s that Jean Grey officially stopped going by Marvel Girl, which coincided with the beginning of a new era for the X-Men, not only in the comics but also on television and later in the movies. More recently, during Jonathan Hickman’s House of X comic book arc, Jean Grey once again started to use her Marvel Girl title.

Theory: Jean Grey Will Appear In The Marvels

The title for The Marvels, the Captain Marvel sequel, alludes to the movie having three leads – Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau. The Marvels will see Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, who currently doesn’t have a superhero name, teaming up in the MCU for the first time. However, according to the fan theory, the "The Marvels" title is hiding a fourth “Marvel” hero – Jean Grey, the Marvel Girl. Having Jean Grey debut on The Marvels would be a perfect callback to the character's original superhero name in the comics, and it would make the decision of naming the Captain Marvel sequel “The Marvels” even more interesting. Audiences are already aware that The Marvels will feature Carol, Kamala, and Monica, but having Jean Grey in the movie would be an interesting surprise. The Marvels could feature a young Jean Grey, still going by the Marvel Girl name, showing up to assist or recruit Ms. Marvel to the X-Men.

Jean Grey In The Marvels Can Improve Ms. Marvel’s Mutant Reveal

While Ms. Marvel's reveal that Kamala Khan is a mutant in the MCU was exciting, many believe that it did not add much to the story of the show and that it actually undid a lot of what it had established about Ms. Marvel’s powers and origins. Ms. Marvel’s next confirmed appearance in the MCU will be in The Marvels, meaning that the movie has the chance to better pay off the last-minute reveal of Kamala being a mutant. Jean Grey in The Marvels could establish a connection between Kamala and the X-Men, making the reveal more meaningful. Even if Ms. Marvel never joins the X-Men in the MCU, The Marvels could at least reveal, through Jean Grey, that the X-Men are aware of this young, powerful mutant superhero.

Next: Why Ms. Marvel's X-Men Tease Can't Be Another Fakeout