Two X-Men Adaptations Failed Rogue, But The MCU Can Fix It

With the X-Men certainly on their way to the MCU, there's one character that past adaptations have let down and definitely deserves another shot - Rogue. Whether it was the landmark X-Men Animated Series of the 90s or the genre-defining X-Men movies of the 2000s, Rogue's track record in X-Men adaptations isn't great.

While the 90s X-Men cartoon did better at presenting Rogue in her character’s totality, it also dropped the ball on a proper resolution to arguably her most important arc. Meanwhile, the 2000s X-Men movies chose to take the character in a different direction and arguably lost the heart of what made Rogue so popular in the first place. Thankfully, the MCU is in the best possible position to finally do Rogue justice in an adaptation and stick the landing.

The 90s X-Men Cartoon Left Rogue And Captain Marvel Hanging

The 90s X-Men Animated Series was instrumental in the explosion of the team's popularity and was responsible for arguably the most well-received version of Rogue. However, despite this representation of Rogue being the definitive one in the eyes of many, there was a certain sticking point when it came to the character's connection to another Marvel superhero, Captain Marvel, or Ms. Marvel at the time.

The two characters had a decently long arc throughout much of the series. Rogue had taken her powers and accidentally absorbed her mind, unwittingly leaving Ms. Marvel in a coma for several years. The arc played out with Ms. Marvel attempting to assume direct control over the reformed mutant superhero, growing increasingly (and some might argue justifiably) resentful towards her, the longer the situation endured. Eventually, the morally dubious decision was made to bury Ms. Marvel's mind further in Rogue's psyche to stop her influence from destroying Rogue in her spiteful rampage.

The problem is that the arc never reached a proper and satisfying resolution. The series implied that Rogue unknowingly returned Ms. Marvel's mind to her body but at no point did Ms. Marvel return to finally hash things out with Rogue, so while Rogue got some amount of closure for herself, Ms. Marvel was left out to dry. Without Carol returning to conclude that storyline, Rogue was never granted the opportunity to properly make amends for what she'd done, leaving the arc incomplete.

The 2000s X-Men Movies Fumbled Rogue's Characterization

Then came the X-Men film franchise, which made the characters into household names. The series delivered a version of Rogue that was deceptively accurate, yet also managed to miss the mark. Rogue's mutant powers have always been a source of angst for the character. The torment that her uncontrollable powers caused her, as well as the manipulation of Mystique, led her to join the Brotherhood of (Evil) Mutants until later joining the X-Men after the aforementioned clash with Ms. Marvel began to wreak havoc on her mind, albeit differently than was shown in the cartoon.

Rogue has always had a big personality, steeped in a lot of spunk and American southern mannerisms. She was actually fairly wicked in the comics, at first, driven largely by bitterness and loneliness that the X-Men helped her to overcome, resulting in a positive shift towards the more lovable and sunny disposition she's become famous for. Because of this transformation, Rogue became an empowering symbol among the X-Men for many, smiling in the face of her dismal situation. The film version of Rogue, however, never really got to exhibit any of this development, instead choosing to lean entirely on the character's angst.

In the X-Men movies, Rogue never actually joined the Brotherhood, so much as she was a living McGuffin for them to use. Having not been an antagonist, this Rogue was never especially nasty to deal with. Even upon properly joining the X-Men in those movies, her personality never blossoms into the sunny and optimistic superhero with an inclination towards southern hospitality that longtime followers had become familiar with in the prior decade. In fact, the ultimate pivot away from that beloved character came in the maligned X-Men: The Last Stand, where Rogue got her mutation cured after an entire character arc about self-acceptance.

The MCU Is Perfect For Rogue's X-Men Storyline And Character

Rogue stands near a brick wall in X-Men: The Animated Series.

Despite Rogue being failed in each of the two biggest X-Men adaptations that exist, the MCU can make things right. The MCU's tendency towards longer-form storytelling would absolutely give Rogue the time the original X-Men trilogy neglected to give her. Most notably, Rogue wouldn't have to be restricted to movies solely about the X-Men. Even if she was, characters from outside the typical X-Men umbrella could appear in future X-Men movies.

With all of this additional time and mutants joining the MCU in a big way, Rogue's entire arc could play out, with her actually starting as a villain. She could clash not just with the X-Men, but with numerous other heroes as she had in the comics, including the Avengers. Rogue could already be in The Marvels, opening the way to adapt that storyline to the big screen for the first time. Here, however, the arc can actually reach the resolution that the 90s X-Men Animated Series ultimately failed to deliver. The perfect vehicle to continue from there already exists in the form of Avengers: Secret Wars, where she could clash with others from across the MCU, potentially even meeting the X-Men there on Battleworld.

After spending some time as a villain, Rogue could join the X-Men for Xavier's help, or potentially out of guilt, allowing her to develop over time into the chipper and spunky superhero X-Men fans know and love. The MCU is also perfectly poised to deliver this characterization of Rogue as well. Being more lighthearted and willing to embrace the silliness of superheroes than the 2000s X-Men films were, it's entirely likely that the MCU can present Rogue's big personality on screen without it being met with the same cynical sneer that the 2000s movies treated the X-Men's traditionally colorful costumes. Whatever happens, Rogue deserves better than past X-Men adaptations gave her and with the MCU taking over the reins, it looks as if she's finally in a position to get her due.

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