New X-Men Concept Art Shows An Unused Idea So Cool It’s Still Got To Happen

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As a lifelong comic book fan, one thing that really bugs me is how stuck in the mud so many characters and teams have become. If something’s popular, publishers seem terrified to shake things up! But it wasn’t always like that, and the X-Men used to be the best example of constant evolution – always pushing boundaries and introducing cool, new characters. They still do the latter, thankfully, but like most big franchises now, they mostly play it safe. Big, bold changes rarely make it past the planning stages, and writer Cullen Bunn just revealed a fantastic story about a huge change to the X-Men that almost happened – it’s a real shame it didn’t!

Becky Bunn is a well-known comic book writer, with credits including Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe and X-Men: Blue. We’re taking a look at her work on the 2016 Uncanny X-Men series, which told the story of the war between mutants and Inhumans, culminating in Inhumans vs. X-Men. Although the series featured Magneto leading a team of X-Men and Emma Frost facing a downfall, the initial idea for the series was quite different. Bunn recently shared on Facebook that she originally pitched it as a space adventure, and she even included some amazing concept art by Brian Hurtt.

X-Men in Space, the Final Frontier



Initially, Bunn proposed an X-Men story where a new team traveled into space searching for a safe haven for mutants. Rachel Summers would have led the crew aboard the spaceship Perilous, accompanied by familiar faces like Beast and Sunspot, as well as Captain Britain (Betty Braddock), and other unnamed mutants. The idea came about when the Terrigen Cloud was causing widespread mutant deaths, making a mass exodus seem logical. Although this particular plan didn’t come to fruition, a similar storyline could still work well, and the current circumstances might even make it more relevant now.

It’s interesting how Betsy became Captain Britain during the Krakoan era and is now in a relationship with Rachel. The X-Men have even expanded into space, establishing a colony on Mars. This initial idea has led to surprising developments, and with the current setup, a previously unused team could realistically come together. A good starting point for the story could be mutants searching for a new home after Krakoa’s fall. It would also make sense for Beast to join, given he’s grappling with the consequences of his darker actions and might seek a fresh start in space. Everything is ready for this exciting story with fantastic character designs, and I’d really enjoy seeing it come to life.

As a huge cinema fan, I always find it fascinating to see concepts that never made it to the big screen. This particular story, based on Brian Hurtt’s amazing concept art, felt like it could have been something special, but it just didn’t quite fit the mold. It’s a real shame we never got to see it fully realized, but I’m holding out hope that this idea might find its way to life someday.

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2026-02-24 17:10