10 Perfect Mutants for the MCU’s New Young X-Men Team

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The X-Men are officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the release of Avengers: Doomsday in December. We got a first glimpse of them in a post-credit scene in The Marvels, and Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and Cyclops (James Marsters) appeared in the latest trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. However, after Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel plans to reboot the MCU and introduce a new, younger team of X-Men, rather than continuing with the original actors and storylines from the previous films. This means they’ll be starting fresh with the mutant characters.

Considering all of that, here are 10 ideal mutant characters Marvel should feature when they relaunch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the X-Men taking center stage.

10) Jubilee

For the Marvel Cinematic Universe to successfully introduce a new X-Men team, it needs to include well-known characters, even if viewers aren’t familiar with the comics. Bringing in famous mutants, especially those popular from the animated series, is crucial. Jubilee is an ideal starting point. She was a fan favorite on the 90s X-Men cartoon and recently reappeared in ‘X-Men 97,’ keeping her relevant. Importantly, Jubilee hasn’t been a major character in any of the previous X-Men films, appearing only briefly. The new movies could even center around Jubilee, similar to how the original trilogy focused on Rogue.

9) Kid Omega

If Jubilee joins the new X-Men team, Kid Omega would be a great counterpart. Jubilee is often shown as a rebellious teen, but fundamentally she’s a good person. To create an interesting dynamic, it would be ideal to pair her with another young X-Men member who isn’t inherently good, but still fights for what’s right. Kid Omega fits this perfectly – he was also depicted as a difficult teenager, though more as a bully and a show-off. This contrast – Jubilee as the optimistic one and Kid Omega as the more cynical one – could lead to a compelling storyline. And, Kid Omega is incredibly powerful, being one of Marvel’s strongest telepaths.

8) Iceman

Let’s talk about Iceman. While Shawn Ashmore did a fine job, the character felt surprisingly underused in the original X-Men films. He had a sweet connection with Rogue, and his link to Pyro gave him a bigger moment in The Last Stand, but even then, it wasn’t enough. He popped up briefly in Days of Future Past, but honestly, as one of the original X-Men, he deserved so much more screen time. Reintroducing him as a young mutant now feels like a smart move. And, if the MCU follows the comic book revelations about his sexuality, that would be fantastic – the X-Men have always been about representation, something Chris Claremont really championed back in the day, and this would continue that legacy.

7) Kitty Pryde

Elliot Page portrayed Kitty Pryde in X-Men: The Last Stand, but the film didn’t fully showcase her potential, especially compared to her significant role as the youngest member of the X-Men in the comics. However, the new X-Men team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t need a young Kitty Pryde. Instead, they need experienced mutants, and Kate Pryde fits that bill perfectly. Over the years, she’s become a powerful and well-respected figure in Marvel Comics, and the MCU should present her as the strong, capable leader she is now.

6) Rogue

Rogue deserves a comeback. The X-Men movies didn’t do her justice, stripping away the confident, assertive personality that defines her. Her decision to take a cure for her powers was particularly disappointing. The upcoming X-Men 97 series has a chance to restore Rogue to her full potential – a strong, capable woman who can be a leader alongside characters like Kate Pryde and earn the respect of her teammates.

5) Gambit

With Rogue potentially returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many fans are hoping to see Gambit reappear too. There’s even a desire to see Channing Tatum reprise the role, as he was popular playing Gambit in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailers. Alternatively, Marvel could acknowledge existing fan moments from Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars and then find a new actor for Gambit who complements whoever they choose to play Rogue. Many believe a dynamic between Gambit and Rogue would be more compelling than the classic Cyclops and Jean Grey storyline in the new X-Men films.

4) Magik

Colossus didn’t get much attention in the X-Men films, but he had a great role in the Deadpool movies. Magik made her first appearance in the poorly received film, The New Mutants, though Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance was a highlight. While the X-Men movies will likely feature new actors for future appearances, The New Mutants showed how Magik could be portrayed effectively. It would be great to see her join the team, given her history with Kate.

3) Nightcrawler

One of the most memorable moments in X2 was the exciting opening scene featuring Nightcrawler teleporting into the White House and directly to the President. Alan Cumming delivered a brilliant performance as the character, and fans would love to see Nightcrawler return in future films – even though a version of him appeared in the earlier prequels. It would be great to see a more mature Nightcrawler, perhaps around the same age as Cyclops and Storm were in the original X-Men trilogy. Ideally, this Nightcrawler would be even more playful and charismatic, bringing a fun, adventurous energy to the big screen.

2) Polaris

Polaris is a character with a lot of potential, and her connection to Magneto could be a key part of the new X-Men films. Instead of making her a leader right away, it would be interesting to see her as a younger hero learning to control her abilities – a storyline similar to what Fox attempted with Rogue, but potentially executed more effectively. Ultimately, she could become incredibly powerful, even surpassing her father.

1) Havok

Although many fans would love to see Cyclops lead the new X-Men films, it might be better to focus on fresh faces and mostly leave the original movie team on the bench, with the exception of Rogue. Instead, consider using Cyclops’ brother, Havok. Havok shares similar powers, but expresses them differently and has a more flawed, relatable personality than his brother. While he doesn’t necessarily need to be the leader – Kate or Rogue could fill that role – he’d be a strong addition to the team and a character the movies haven’t explored enough.

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2026-01-26 02:15