2024 Has Proven Which Mutant Needs To Be Part Of The MCU’s X-Men (& It’s Not Deadpool Or Wolverine) (2024)

Marvel's X-Men movie needs to include one specific mutant after their spotlight in 2024, and it is not Deadpool or Wolverine. While saw the two characters remain alive and well in the Fox X-Men universe, many are still expecting the X-Men of the MCU to be different characters entirely. The MCU X-Men movie has received little in the way of updates apart from the attachment of screenwriter Michael Lesslie, though it would be a mistake not to create versions of the characters from Earth-616.

As such, a lot of attention is being placed on which mutants could be part of the MCU's X-Men roster. Interestingly, the provide a few possible members. For example, it has been a long-held theory that X-23 will be introduced as the MCU's prime Wolverine in order to differentiate the franchise from the Fox X-Men movie timeline. Where the other members are concerned, however, Deadpool & Wolverine and one other 2024 project proved which mutant is vital for the team when they are inevitably introduced to the MCU.

2024’s Marvel Projects Have Been A Great Showcase For The Character Of Gambit

The Cajun Mutant Deserves The Spotlight After 2024

The mutant in question is none other than Remy LeBeau/Gambit. Gambit has appeared in two MCU projects in 2024, the first being X-Men '97. X-Men '97 is widely considered one of the best shows Marvel has ever produced, with a large factor in that reputation being accredited to Gambit. At the midway point of the season, the episode "Remember It" focused on Gambit's sacrifice, one of the best moments in X-Men '97. This episode is rated the highest on several review websites, including IMDb, proving how much of an impact Gambit had on the overall season.

The second half of X-Men '97 hinged on Gambit's sacrifice, and the overall story told would not have worked if his storyline and the tragedy of his death had not. This alone proves how strong of a character Gambit can be when given full focus. For this reason, Gambit should be a part of the MCU's X-Men team.

The second appearance of the character in 2024 came with Channing Tatum's Gambit cameo in . Tatum's Gambit movie entered development hell in the 2010s, meaning the character never got to be realized properly in a live-action X-Men movie. Deadpool & Wolverine offered justice for this, with Tatum bringing to life an equally hilarious, silly, and badass version of Gambit. The action sequences involving the character were amazing to see in live-action and the movie offered an overall good depiction of Gambit even if he was not a primary focus of the story.

Why Gambit Is Needed For The MCU’s X-Men

As evident from the reasons above, Gambit is necessary for the MCU's X-Men movie. Both projects showed how well Gambit can work in different ways, from the more serious, emotional story of X-Men '97 to the action-hero, comedic side of the character shown in Deadpool & Wolverine. Moreover, Gambit being included in the MCU's X-Men film would help differentiate it from the Fox X-Men movies of the past.

Gambit's live-action appearances have not offered a story where he can be part of a formed X-Men team, with Deadpool & Wolverine coming the closest to this. As such, including Gambit as a central part of the X-Men team in the MCU would offer a new take on the character in live-action by having him interact with whichever other characters are part of the roster alongside him. This would allow the MCU X-Men to be different from past iterations with a character who is still somewhat familiar, giving Gambit his much-deserved spotlight.

See Also

X-Men: The True Heir of Apocalypse Has Finally Been Revealed

4.0

R

A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

Director

Shawn Levy

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Writers

Rhett Reese , Paul Wernick , Shawn Levy , Ryan Reynolds , Zeb Wells , Rob Liefeld , Fabian Nicieza

Cast

Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Rob Delaney , Leslie Uggams , Karan Soni , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Shioli Kutsuna , Stefan Kapicic , Lewis Tan , Randal Reeder , Jennifer Garner , Aaron Stanford , Billy Clements , Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth , Rob McElhenney

Runtime

127 Minutes