Ms. Marvel was the first MCU property to tease the introduction of the X-Men, an exciting prospect for fans who have been hoping to see underserved characters beginning to take a bigger role in the movies. After all, Mystique, Xavier, Magneto, and Wolverine have been done to death and back — literally. Other characters really deserve a chance to shine.
The original Fox X-Men films failed to properly showcase many of their characters. Whether their backstories were underdeveloped or their personalities were weak, fans on Ranker have compiled a list of all of the most underappreciated mutants that the movies completely failed.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Multiple Man
There are few powers as inventive as Multiple Man's. Whenever he's struck, Madrox has the power to split into duplicates, each with its own distinct personality. As the leader of X-Factor, that meant Madrox was a man who was often the root cause of his own problems, but it also meant he could learn a thousand things at once, just by reabsorbing his dupes.
Unfortunately, the X-Men movies didn't really take advantage of his powerset. Instead, Madrox found himself a mere lackey, standing by the Brotherhood and getting arrested for the pleasure. For a hero as chaotic as Madrox, it's as disappointing as it is a wasted opportunity.
Cyclops
The first member ever recruited into the X-Men, Cyclops certainly deserved better than the lackluster portrayal afforded to him by the movies. Rather than a petulant teenager trying to one-up Wolverine at any opportunity, Cyclops is a strong leader and a dedicated mutant activist.
Having led the X-Men since he was a teenager, he certainly knows how to run a team, and he also knows tactics better than anyone. With so many mutants looking up to him, it wasn't right to kill him in the third movie, and it certainly wasn't right to have him play from the backseat for so much of his runtime.
Rogue
One of the first X-Men that went from villain to friend, Rogue was originally a member of Mystique's Brotherhood. But after an incident wherein she permanently absorbed the personality and powers of Carol Danvers, Rogue found herself running to the X-Men for the help Mystique couldn't give her.
Having been a starring X-Man for decades, Rogue is certainly more than just Wolverine's erstwhile sidekick. Considering how complicated her development from villain to hero was, she really could have been more thoroughly explored. Rather than reiterating the same plot with Magneto time and time again, fans would have liked it better if that screentime could have been afforded to Rogue's journey instead.
Nightcrawler
One of the kindest of the mutants, and one who also happens to look like a prototypical demon, Nightcrawler is a character thoroughly let down by the Fox movies. A fan favorite for decades, he's more than just a fish out of water trying to survive in modern culture. He's often the heart of any team he's on.
While in his early days, he struggled to cope with fitting in, he also never had a problem comprehending modern amenities. In fact, he's a film buff and a huge fan of pirates. To have him portrayed as just another terrorist who gets rescued by Xavier is a disappointment to say the least.
Emma Frost
It took decades for Emma Frost to grow from a leader of the Hellfire Club to a proud member of the X-Men who happens to be darker than her villains. Yet, her love for her students — and mutantkind as a whole — pushed her in that direction and got her on the right path, and it's why fans love her — and why they were so disappointed in the live-action Emma.
In the movies, Emma is little more than Sebastian Shaw's sycophant, which is a huge disservice to her character. Emma knows how to run her own life, and she certainly knows how to scheme without Shaw guiding her along. A movie properly showcasing her interests and development would have done her better. Besides, they could have done much better with her sense of fashion.
Angel
While comic book fans know a lot about Angel, he hasn't always had his fair shake to the wider audience. Seen as a weak character who can do little more than fly, he's often just regarded as an original X-Man and left at that. Even the movies tend to introduce him as a no-name side character.
But Angel has had an extraordinary history. As the chief financial support of the X-Men, and as a corrupted agent of Apocalypse left grappling with his darker urges, Angel has experienced a great deal of chance and development over the years, and certainly doesn't deserve to be sidelined when he's such a well-known character.
Psylocke
One of the most powerful X-Force members, and the current Captain Britain and leader of Excalibur, Psylocke shouldn't just be Apocalypse's minion. A telepath and telekinetic of the highest order, and an experienced killer, Psylocke should have taken leading roles within the franchise.
Her history has been somewhat controversial, thanks to a misguided decision to have her swap bodies with a Japanese woman, who was then summarily killed. Still, despite the body swap, Betsy Braddock has proved to be a valuable X-Man and deserved better than a fleeting moment of fame, which is likely why fans were so disappointed.
Juggernaut
Though not a mutant, the Unstoppable Juggernaut is often confused for one by the masses, thanks to his constant ties to the X-Men. Having served on several mutant teams, and currently serving on the Legion of X, he's certainly earned his place beside his mutant brother, Professor X.
It's these ties that likely caused Ranker fans to mistakenly assume Juggernaut was a mutant, and it's also why he really deserved better from the movies. A thorough exploration of Juggernaut's relationship with Xavier could have shown a different side to them both, while also revealing just how far Juggernaut had to go in order to survive and get the vengeance he desperately wanted.
Gambit
Any character who premiered in X-Men Origins: Wolverine is sure to have been severely mistreated by the film, and Gambit is no exception. Having cast an actor who wasn't a great fit for Gambit, it was already starting from a low point, but the film failed to depict the Cajun card master's charm.
Besides, it's hardly Gambit if he doesn't have the chance to interact with his wife. The fact that an entire franchise began and ended and still failed to depict Gambit and Rogue together is a disappointment, to say the least. It's no wonder fans thought the films failed to do justice to Gambit.
Darwin
The mutant that can't die — who also somehow happened to die immediately, shortly after appearing on screen. Though the comics have hardly featured the character often enough to do him justice, they certainly have never failed Darwin quite that badly. Fans hoping to see the live-action Darwin done better than the comics were beyond disappointed.
Though Darwin was used to showcase the sheer power of both Havok and Shaw, it wasn't fair. His mutation is specifically stated to prevent Darwin from ever dying. So presenting his powers in the sole way that can cause him to die is a ridiculous concept that should have been scrapped from its inception. If the character's powers are too difficult to properly include, it's often better to not include them at all.