--- description: Disney could incorporate Wolverine and the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or reboot the franchises entirely. title: The Path to the X-Men Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe Just Got a Lot Clearer image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta8fe8e3eb349d6a5/6988bc6d8e0601d6cb469630/x-men-origins-wolverine.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Path to the X-Men Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe Just Got a Lot Clearer  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Mar 20, 2019 7:36 PM CUT  20th Century Fox  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Mar 20, 2019 7:36 PM CUT In the Marvel comic books, the X-Men and Avengers are longtime allies and occasional foes. But for two-and-a-half decades the two groups of superheroes haven’t been allowed to share the big screen. That’s all about to change, thanks to the [Disney-Fox merger](http://time.com/5554731/disney-fox-entertainment-acquisition/ "undefined"). In 1993, a financially strapped Marvel sold the rights to the X-Men to 20th Century Fox. It was the first deal in a fire sale that would end with Marvel also ceding rights to the Fantastic Four to Fox and Spider-Man to Sony. When Marvel Studios began to produce its own movies, [starting with _Iron Man_ in 2008](http://time.com/5227935/marvel-cinematic-universe-timeline/ "undefined"), the studio had to build an entire franchise on the backs of less-popular characters. Still, with the help of Disney — which acquired Marvel Studios in 2009 — the studio produced 20 movies, including the _Avengers_ films. The Marvel Cinematic Universe became the [most profitable franchise in film history](http://time.com/5523398/highest-grossing-marvel-movies/ "undefined"). Even before the merger was official, Marvel Studios struck several deals to bring home some of its long-lost characters. In 2015, Sony agreed to share the rights to Spider-Man with Marvel Studios, and the next year the webslinger made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the aptly named [_Spider-Man: Homecoming_](http://time.com/5472316/new-spider-man-movies/ "undefined"). And, now that Disney and Fox have officially merged, Marvel Studios has access to members of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. Disney CEO Bob Iger said in [an interview](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bob-iger-disneys-streaming-service-james-gunn-star-wars-slowdown-1145493 "undefined") that it “makes sense” for the the Marvel Cinematic Universe to absorb the X-Men franchise. “There shouldn’t be two Marvels,” he added. And Anthony and Joe Russo, stalwart directors in the _Avengers_ universe, [recently said](https://www.thisisinsider.com/avengers-infinity-war-directors-x-men-deadpool-likely-to-appear-in-future-movies-2018-12 "undefined") they are certain that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige “is going to incorporate those characters under the large Marvel umbrella.” Here’s what the Disney-Fox merger means for all your favorite Marvel superheroes, from X-Men like Wolverine and Storm to the Fantastic Four and Deadpool.  Photo: Alan Markfield—TM and © 2013 Marvel and Subs. TM and © 2013 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication. Photo: Alan Markfield—TM and © 2013 Marvel and Subs. TM and © 2013 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication. Alan Markfield—Marvel and Twentieth Century Fox ## X-Men Might Get Rebooted Fox has already scheduled two _X-Men_ movies for 2019: _Dark Phoenix_ (June 7) and _New Mutants_ (Aug. 2). But after those movies premiere, it’s unclear if Disney will continue with the current storyline and cast or reboot the series entirely. The X-Men bring a lot of storyline baggage to Disney. _X-Men: Days of Future Past_ (2014) created two separate [X-Men timelines](http://time.com/4674853/logan-wolverine-x-men-timeline/ "undefined") that have vexed fans since. Characters who are alive in one parallel universe are dead in another, or heroic in one universe but evil in another. It makes for a confusing moviegoing experience when several years pass between installments. Marvel tends to be careful about the potential ripple effect of certain details and plot points—for example, dates are removed from Peter Parker’s passport in _Spider-Man: Homecoming_—in order to free future films from a restrictive timeline. So adding parallel universes to the already complicated Marvel Cinematic Universe would be unwise. There’s also the question of Bryan Singer, who has directed four of Fox’s X-Men movies and produced five of them, excluding the upcoming 2019 projects. Allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, including sex with underage men, have long plagued Singer. In January, an [in-depth investigation in _The Atlantic_](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/bryan-singers-accusers-speak-out/580462/ "undefined") surfaced new allegations of a similar nature against the director. (Singer’s lawyer [told _The Atlantic_](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/entertainment/bryan-singer-allegations/index.html "undefined") that Singer “categorically denies ever having sex with, or a preference for, underage men.”) It’s unclear if the Singer allegations will affect the future of the franchise. In 2017, Jessica Chastain, who plays a villain in _Dark Phoenix_, [tweeted](https://twitter.com/jes%5Fchastain/status/926609405788930048?lang=en "undefined") that fans shouldn’t forget Singer’s behavior. It’s possible Disney will attempt to untangle his involvement simply by rebooting the franchise entirely and placing it in new hands.  Superhero reboot Fantastic Four boasts an impressive young cast, including Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan. 20th Century Fox/Marvel ## We Could Finally Get a Decent Fantastic Four Movie The Fantastic Four heroes are some of the most compelling characters in comics. They knew each other and worked together before they gained their powers, so their storylines have the benefit of built-in family drama. And yet the foursome has a checkered cinematic history. The original 2005 film (starring Chris Evans before he became Captain America) struggled critically and commercially, while [fans lambasted](https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/josh-trank-responds-fan-complaints-about-his-fantastic-four-changes "undefined") director Josh Trank for wasting a talented cast in his [mess of a reboot](http://time.com/3988799/fantastic-four-reviews/ "undefined") in 2015. Luckily, Marvel Studios has an unassailable track record at the [box office](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=avengers.htm "undefined") and on [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/marvel%5Fcinematic%5Funiverse/ "undefined"). So, yes, we may we finally get a good — dare we hope for great? — Fantastic Four adaptation.  The X-Men cede to special effects as the franchise faces an absurd Apocalypse Marvel/20TH Century Fox ## Marvel Now Has Access to Some Great Villains One of the biggest challenges that Marvel Studios faced in building the Marvel Cinematic Universe universe was a dearth of solids villains. Things have gotten rather dire when your movie revolves around Malekith, an evil alien from _Thor: The Dark World_ who wants to turn the universe dark just because he likes nighttime. The studio ended up recycling fan-favorites like Loki in several movies in lieu of digging into its shallow bench of baddies. But now Disney will have access to some of the best villains in comics, many with more complex motivations than simply “because they’re evil.” Magneto is an incredible villain exactly because he’s not always villainous. He’s a Holocaust survivor, a man totally justified in his fury against those who seek to discriminate against others. But he takes his philosophy to a militant extreme, and that’s where morally righteous Professor X feels he has to step in. Fans have also hailed _Fantastic Four_ baddie Dr. Doom as one of the best [(if not _the_ best)](https://www.vulture.com/2017/06/why-marvels-doctor-doom-is-the-best-supervillain.html "undefined") comics villain ever created. Dr. Doom is driven by a sincere conviction that the world would be better off it he ruled it — and his jealousy of Mr. Fantastic. For whatever reason, Fox was never able to capture him well on film. (The mask never helped.) If Marvel can get the egomaniacal character right, he could become a staple of the next phase of its universe.  Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios ## The X-Men and Avengers Could Face Off From 2008 to 2019, every single Marvel Studios movie was building toward a final confrontation between the Avengers and Thanos in [_Avengers: Infinity War_](http://time.com/5255759/avengers-infinity-war-ending-explained/ "undefined") and [_Avengers: Endgame_](http://time.com/5470611/avengers-endgame-trailer-analysis/ "undefined"), out April 26\. Fans have speculated that the [upcoming Marvel movies](http://time.com/5167535/upcoming-marvel-movies/ "undefined") will build toward another epic event, perhaps a showdown between the Avengers and X-Men. Marvel has already written this storyline [in the comics](https://www.marvel.com/comics/series/15305/avengers%5Fvs%5Fx-men%5F2012 "undefined") and could easily adapt it to the big screen; the movie’s writers have often leaned on pre-existing comics material. That plot could be particularly interesting considering that one Avenger, Scarlet Witch, is technically a mutant from the X-Men universe.  Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool 20th Century Fox ## Deadpool’s Fate Is Unclear The Merc With a Mouth has become a runaway success for Fox. It’s unlikely that Disney would just throw that franchise away. But Deadpool’s R-rated antics don’t exactly mesh with many of Marvel Studios’ more wholesome films. (Actor Ryan Reynolds even [tweeted a photo](https://ew.com/movies/2017/12/14/ryan-reynolds-disney-fox-merger-deadpool-photo/ "undefined") of Deadpool getting arrested at Disney Land after the merger was announced.) The studio could try to make the character’s movies PG-13 going forward, or allow him to exist in his own little R-rated bubble, adjacent to the rest of the MCU.  20th Century Fox ## Genre-Bending Movies Like _Logan_ Could Be a Thing of the Past It’s easy to forget that the first X-Men movie premiered in 2000, years before _Spider-Man_, _Batman Begins_ or _Iron Man._ Since then, _Iron Man_ and _The Dark Knight_ (both of which premiered in 2008) set the template for the future of just about every superhero movie, whether they be CGI-heavy, comedic affairs (like the former) or dark, self-serious takes on vigilantes fighting madmen (like the latter). The X-Men movies continued to run through storylines for over a decade, but eventually 20th Century Fox was forced to innovate in order to compete with the rest of the superhero franchises out there. After a few critical flops, the X-Men made a quiet comeback by experimenting with the superhero genre. In 2016, the hyper-self-aware _Deadpool_ not only broke the fourth wall but proved that R-rated superhero movies could smash records. _Logan_, which premiered the following year, stripped X-Men’s most popular character, Wolverine, of all his heroism in a small, gritty, emotional film. But the punch-quip formula is Marvel Studios’ bread and butter. Sure, Marvel’s begun to test the bounds of the genre a bit with a talking raccoon and [shocking cliffhangers](http://time.com/5262938/mark-ruffalo-spoiled-avengers-infinity-war/ "undefined"). Yet those movies never stray too far from the magic formula that has led to Marvel’s overwhelming success. _Deadpool_ will probably survive in some form. But _Logan_ probably won’t get a sequel, for many [spoiler-y reasons](http://time.com/4684890/logan-wolverine-die-xmen/ "undefined"). And it’s unclear whether Marvel Studios would even _want_ to take a risk by making another movie like _Logan_.  Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Marvel Studios' AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Marvel Studios ## More Marvel TV Shows Are Headed Your Way Disney is launching its own streaming service soon. The company has already announced that it will populate this platform with Avengers shows, including [rumored series](https://variety.com/2018/film/news/loki-scarlet-witch-tv-series-marvel-disney-streaming-service-1202947551/ "undefined") about Loki and Scarlet Witch. Expect one or two X-Men series to find their way onto Disney+ too — for Disney, that’s a Gambit worth taking. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5517975/marvel-cinematic-universe-x-men/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5517975/marvel-cinematic-universe-x-men/"},"headline":"The Path to the X-Men Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe Just Got a Lot Clearer","datePublished":"2019-03-20T19:36:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:57:17.844Z","description":"Disney could incorporate Wolverine and the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or reboot the franchises entirely.","url":"https://time.com/5517975/marvel-cinematic-universe-x-men/","keywords":["movies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta8fe8e3eb349d6a5/6988bc6d8e0601d6cb469630/x-men-origins-wolverine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta8fe8e3eb349d6a5/6988bc6d8e0601d6cb469630/x-men-origins-wolverine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"x-men-origins-wolverine","caption":"x-men-origins-wolverine","creditText":"20th Century Fox","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5517975/marvel-cinematic-universe-x-men/","name":"The Path to the X-Men Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe Just Got a Lot Clearer"}}]}] ```