MCU Rumor: Marvel Will Sideline The Avengers For The X-Men After Secret Wars

The Marvel Studios schedule is packed with some compelling entries, but none come with more apprehension and intrigue than the two Avengers movies slotted in among them. Besides bringing together a new crew of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the films may need to pivot from Kang after Marvel Studios dropped Jonathan Majors, and there's speculation that old heroes like Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) might find their way back into the fight. After that, though, then what? What does the Marvel Cinematic Universe's future look like after a sequel that has every possibility of raising the bar that hasn't budged since "Avengers: Endgame"? If another tempting rumor is to be believed, the universe as we know it is about to mutate into something bigger than it's ever been.

According to renowned Hollywood scooper Cryptic HD on X, formerly known as Twitter, Marvel Studios has "several mutant-themed projects currently in the works, with the narrative centering around the mutants." With that shift, where does that leave the likes of the new Captain America, Captain Marvel, and company? Per Cryptic HD, "The Avengers will have minimal presence and will not be the primary focus of the saga." It might seem like a daring move, but it's not surprising considering the X-Men's rich history.

You don't need extensive knowledge of comic book lore to know that on their own, the X-Men can take on the box office just fine by themselves. Arriving on the big screen in 2000, they transformed names like Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), and Magneto (Ian McKellen) into movie-based money magnets, and the same will probably happen when they arrive and stay in the MCU, where fans have wanted them for years. The difference here is that, in the right hands, this other corner of the franchise could open doors — not just at Xaviers School for the Gifted, but other teams, groups, and standalone heroes carrying the mutant gene.

We know Wolverine can hold his own in a solo film, but what about Kitty Pryde, Gambit (who almost got his own movie with Channing Tatum in the lead), or Storm (who married and divorced Black Panther in the comics)? There's enough to work with that this supposed strategy might be productive, allowing the X-Men to take over and save the MCU, returning the franchise to its former glory.