Kevin Feige Teases MCU X-Men Arrival Timeline With Deadpool 3 Reference
Using a Deadpool 3 reference, Kevin Feige teases when the X-Men could arrive in the MCU. The mutants have been expected to debut in the Marvel Studios franchise ever since it re-acquired the rights to the characters via Disney’s acquisition of Fox’s TV and movie assets. There have been clues about the beloved team’s eventual introduction, but amid everything, Feige and Marvel Studios have remained mum about when exactly the X-Men could join the MCU.
Marvel Studios has had several opportunities to lay out their plans for the X-Men. In 2022 alone, Feige appeared at San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo. In both instances, he talked about the burgeoning Multiverse Saga and what lies ahead for the franchise, but nothing about the mutants. Instead, the Disney+ shows have been dropping clues regarding their arrival including the confirmation that Ms. Marvel is MCU’s first mutant and She-Hulk’s direct question from Jennifer Walters to the « real » AI K.E.V.I.N. about the matter. Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, which is quite a big deal, not just for fans of the character but also for the X-Men’s future as a whole.
Feige references Wolverine’s exciting appearance in Deadpool 3, which is slated to release in 2024, to tease the impending arrival of the X-Men in the MCU. Speaking with Deadline on the red carpet of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, he refuses to confirm any sort of timeline for their introduction – except to suggest that the Ryan Reynolds-led threequel could be significant. Read Feige’s full quote below:
That’s what Jennifer Walters just asked the robot in the final episode of She-Hulk. And I’ll give you the same answer that he gave, which was, I don’t remember, no answer, I think was what he gave, yes. But Deadpool and Wolverine, you know, we’re getting close.
As expected, Feige remains coy about the mutants’ introduction to the MCU, but it’s interesting that he openly references Deadpool 3 in the conversation. For context, it’s still unclear how exactly Reynolds’ Merc-with-a-Mouth will be incorporated into the franchise. Given the vast multiverse, the upcoming version in the threequel could still be separated from the Sacred Timeline, with the events of the film taking place in an entirely different reality. The same can be said with the iteration of Wolverine in the flick. Since the hero died in James Mangold’s Logan and it’s unlikely that Marvel Studios will be willing to undo that, it’s possible that Deadpool 3’s Wolverine is different from the one in the Fox Marvel Universe. In any case, it seems like Feige is hinting that the Shawn Levy-directed movie will be integral in the arrival of the X-Men in the MCU.
Just because Feige and Marvel Studios haven’t laid out their plan for the X-Men doesn’t mean that they don’t have one. The MCU is known for playing the long game; it’s safe to say that by now, they have a clear path to their eventual introduction. The question is whether they will be an integral part of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, or if they will instead be more prominent in Phase 7 and beyond. While Deadpool 3 may not have all the answers, it will definitely shed light on the matter once it hits theaters.
Source: Deadline
