Published May 16, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows.
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As the MCU's X-Men movie reboot takes shape, Marvel starts laying the foundations for a new leading mutant. Although 20th Century Fox’s sprawling X-Men franchise spent two decades adapting milestone comic storylines, introducing dozens of heroes, and exploring timeline-altering events, the X-Men mythos is so vast that the MCU still has an immense amount of untouched ground to break. Marvel Studios could dive into the Shi'ar Empire's cosmic politics, the Hellfire Club's espionage, or Krakoa's revolutionary society, just to name a few. Villains like Mister Sinister, Mojo, and the Brood are also ready to make their live-action debut.
Director Jake Schreier is officially spearheading the MCU's upcoming X-Men reboot, set to release during Phase 7 with a screenplay currently being written by Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear scribe Joanna Calo. Early script development and conceptual planning are well underway for a completely fresh, recast roster, while Phase 6’s Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars bid a final farewell to iconic X-Men portrayals like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen's Magneto, and James Marsden's Cyclops.
Movie-to-comics synergy isn't the only kind of synergy. Prior to a movie as significant as the MCU's X-Men, Marvel Comics appears to be moving the necessary pieces to establish a definitive line-up of mutants who appear on the big screen and the printed page simultaneously.
The X-Men Need A New Central Line-Up, And Not Only On The Big Screen
The MCU has a golden opportunity to move past the repetitive narrative loops of the 20th Century Fox era, which heavily relied on Wolverine, Professor X, and Magneto to drive almost every movie. After Phase 6, Marvel Comics' From the Ashes and Shadows of Tomorrow eras could influence the MCU's new X-Men. For example, the standard, flagship adjectiveless X-Men currently features Cyclops leading a heavy-hitting, tactically advanced squad out of Alaska, which includes characters like Beast, Magneto, Kwannon, Magik, Juggernaut, Quentin Quire, and Temper.
Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.”
🐺 Wolverine The Loner
🧠 Professor X The Visionary
🧲 Magneto The Survivor
ACTIVATE CEREBRO →
01
Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do?
ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever
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02
Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move?
AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices
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03
A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into?
AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails
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04
A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond?
APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause
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05
A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do?
AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes
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06
What’s your biggest flaw?
AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong
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07
Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move?
AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation
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08
What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants?
ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything
REVEAL MY MUTANT IDENTITY →
Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men Identity
🐺
Wolverine (Logan)
“I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.
Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed
🧠
Professor X (Charles Xavier)
“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.
Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful
🧲
Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)
“Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.
Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding
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Meanwhile, the current Uncanny X-Men run focuses on a Louisiana-based team under Rogue and Gambit's leadership, supported by Nightcrawler, Jubilee, and Wolverine. Their students inject new blood into the new generation of X-Men. "The Outliers" are composed of the young mutants Jitter, Ransom, Deathdream, and Calico, who take refuge at Haven House in New Orleans. These characters bring entirely unique powers to the table, including Ransom’s literal black-hole heart and Jitter’s hyper-focus abilities. Similarly, the Exceptional X-Men team showcases Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost co-mentoring an entirely new trio of Chicago-based teens: Axo, Bronze, and Melee.
Ultimately, establishing a new central X-Men line-up is a narrative must. When a franchise as big as the X-Men relies too heavily on the same few characters for two decades, their universe begins to feel small and predictable. Marvel Comics' recent titles understand this, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to follow suit after the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Hence, the MCU's X-Men could establish a line-up that includes staples like Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Rogue, and Jean Grey, but also unexpected additions like Kwannon, Magik, Juggernaut, and perhaps sub-teams like the Outliers and the Exceptional X-Men.
Marvel Is Slowly Making Jubilee The Face Of The X-Men
2026 Is The Year Of Jubilee
Jubilee is the embodiment of the X-Men's 1990s era, and she's one of the few 1990s Marvel characters who have retained their original look largely unchanged to this day. Thirty-seven years after her comic book debut in 1989's Uncanny X-Men #244, Jubilation Lee is comic back to the spotlight in 2026. This year, Jubilee is starring in at least three different X-Men titles, one of which is a solo comic run centered on her and her family's secrets.
The X-Men's resident firework caster stars in Gene Luen Yang's Jubilee: Deadly Reunion, which introduces Jubilee's cousin Eason Cheung and reveals the secret conspiracy involving his mother. Meanwhile, X-Men: The Hellfire Murder celebrates the mutants' yearly fashion event, where Jubilee will co-star alongside Wolverine in a murder mystery that takes place during the 2026 Hellfire Gala. Only one month later, Jubilee and Wolverine will co-lead another shared adventure in Ashley Allen's Tomb of Apocalypse, where the mutant duo uncovers En Sabah Nur's secret plans for mutantkind while exploring an excavation site in Egypt.
Jubilee and her fellow mutant heroes return in animated form in X-Men '97 season 2, which is set to release this Summer.
Apart from allowing Jubilee to be the A-list mutant hero she deserves to be, Marvel's three Jubilee-led comic titles suggest she will enjoy a surge in popularity in other media. Jubilee could also play a bigger role in the upcoming X-Men '97 season 2, and she might finally join Marvel Rivals' roster of playable characters. Then, a couple of years down the line, Jubilee could be one of the earliest characters to join the MCU's new X-Men, redeeming the surprisingly limited screentime X-Men: Apocalypse gave to Lana Condor's Jubilee.
Jubilee Is Only One Of The X-Men Who Deserve Their Time In The Spotlight
Fox's X-Men Movies Glossed Over Some Of The X-Men's Most Important Members
To truly showcase the vastness of mutantkind, the MCU could introduce audiences to the X-Men who have been completely ignored in live-action. Mutants like the translucent Glob Hermann, the psionic Quentin Quire a.k.a. Kid Omega, the skull-masked Xorn, the technopathic Forge, and the ultra-strong telepath Monet St. Croix would prove to general audiences that the X-Men aren't limited to a rotating group of already established movie icons. There are dozens of new and old mutant faces with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and physical appearances.
Simultaneously, the MCU needs to offer redemption to the heavy hitters of X-Men lore who were severely sidelined or mischaracterized in Fox's movie saga. Cyclops was routinely minimized into a jealous third wheel instead of the masterful tactical general he is in the comics, while Storm was rarely given the majestic, goddess-tier presence she's known for. Characters like Emma Frost and Psylocke were reduced to silent muscle, and Rogue and Gambit barely had any impact in the few movies they appeared in. As X-Men '97 shows, all these mutants could be as relevant as Wolverine, if not more popular.
Related
All 32 Confirmed X-Men Heroes & Villains In X-Men '97 Season 2
X-Men ’97 season 2 expands the mutant saga with some thrilling new heroes, returning TAS legends, and the rise of Apocalypse after NYCC reveals.
The MCU can also revitalize the X-Men franchise by exploring the messy interpersonal relationships of famous mutants. Despite appearing in virtually every X-Men movie, Charles Xavier missed his most fascinating familial and romantic entanglements, such as his fractured dynamic with his godlike son Legion and his psychic twin Cassandra Nova. Similarly, Mystique’s movie arc completely erased her decades-long romance with Destiny, as well as her complicated role as Rogue’s adoptive mother. Even Wolverine has a vital role that hasn't fully been adapted: his nature as mentor to young heroes like Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, and the next generation of students.
Do you want to see Jubilee become one of Marvel's main X-Men characters going forward?
TV Show(s) X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men '97 (2024)
Video Game(s) X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine's Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
First Film X-Men (2000)
Character(s) Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
Comic Release Date 213035,212968
English (US) ·