The X-Men are invading the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s honestly about time. Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, with X-characters not appearing until 2022’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. However, they’ve proven to be extremely popular; Deadpool/Wolverine and Spider-Man: Brand New Day both made over a billion dollars at the box office, each of them starring X-Men. Bringing the X-Men and their related characters to the MCU is the shot in the arm the ailing franchise needs; Marvel created an entire mini-universe of characters for the mutants over the decades and they can freshen up the rather staid universe. The MCU has needed a refresh for a while, and mutants are just what the doctor ordered.
There are numerous amazing X-teams that the MCU could bring in, including the New Mutants. They were the third generation of X-Men in the ’80s and have since become some of the most beloved hero teams at Marvel. Lately, Magik has become the most popular, appearing in numerous video games and comics. She’s definitely going to be popular when she shows up in the MCU, but she’s not going to be the only one. The New Mutants are fantastic and these five have the best chance of becoming superstars in the MCU, joining Magik in the esteem of casual fans.
The New Mutants are a powerful group, but one member wasn’t exactly like the others. Doug Ramsey had the power to understand any language, a power that honestly isn’t all that helpful in combat, especially not at Doug’s level of training at the time (eventually, it would established that martial arts were a language). However, he did have a best friend, one who made sure that Doug was safe – Warlock. Warlock was the son of Magus, the leader of the techno-organic aliens of the Technarcy. He was able to shape his techno-organic body into anything he likes, making him an extremely versatile character. Warlock would be so very popular in the MCU; he’d basically be the new Groot. He’s cute, has a novel way of speaking, and can do a lot of the same things as Groot and then some. There would be so much Warlock merch and the character could easily become a big name. He’s long been a favorite of X-fans and he would quickly gain a whole new fandom.
Roberto DaCosta is the scion of a wealthy Brazillian family and he’s the most fun member of the New Mutants by far. His powers allow him to channel solar radiation, gaining super-strength, invulnerability, flight, and the power to fire powerful plasma blasts. He has a great look and an even better attitude. Bobby doesn’t let anything get him down; he’s always trying to find the bright side of life and use his largesse to help his friends and loved ones enjoy the world around them. He can seem sort of flighty, but he’s one of the most crafty mutants out there, surprising anyone who underestimates him. Sunspot is basically perfect for the MCU; he’s funny, charming, and has a powerset that will work so very well on the big screen. He can quip with the best of them, which is ‘90% of the battle of getting MCU fans to love you. He also goes perfectly with another character on this list.
The early days of the New Mutants took the team all over the world, and that’s where they met Magma. Amara Aquilla is from Nova Roma, a lost Roman colony in South America. Her powers allow her to control and manifest magma and manipulate the earth. She was one of the most powerful early members of the team, but she never really reached the level of some of the other members, despite being a favorite of many. She’s one of the “forgotten” New Mutants, members of the group who don’t get nearly as much attention as the others. However, she’d be awesome in the MCU and Nova Roma would be the perfect addition to that Earth. One of the disappointing things about MCU Earth (I’m never going to call it Earth-616) is that it doesn’t have a lot of the cool little things that make the real Earth-616 so big and weird. Nova Roma is an idea that can be used in a variety of stories, adding something special to the MCU. Magma is a great character and she has potential to help the MCU become something different.
The MCU has only introduced two of Marvel’s excellent Native American heroes, but a New Mutants movie could see them add one of the best Native American superheroes in comics, Dani Moonstar. Going by the codename Mirage (which would fall to the wayside because Dani Moonstar goes entirely too hard), she had the ability to manipulate psionic energy, able to manifest various weapons that operate similarly to Psylocke’s psi-knife and is a lower-level telepath. The Cheyenne mutant quickly jumped to the head of the New Mutants and became one of the team’s most formidable members, which was proven by her becoming a Norse Valkyrie, gaining superhuman physical attributes and a flying horse. Dani is that girl, even if the comics haven’t done much with her. She’s a beloved character regardless, with fans constantly hoping for better for her. She’s been able to develop a rather loud fanbase who is surprisingly positive, which is rare with online fandoms when they’re loud, and they deserve to see their favorite in lights. Dani is already superstar, her fans are just waiting for the rest of the world to figure it out.
Cannonball is, in a lot of ways, the most successful members of the New Mutants. His powers allow him to use kinetic energy to fly at high speeds, his body protected by a field of the same energy. He’s able to absorb impacts with his shield and redirect the energy, which is how he one-shotted Gladiator in the mid ’90s, making him even more formidable. He’d become one of the leaders of the team and would go on to take over X-Force after Cable left. He’s been an X-Man since 1995, with a small but vocal contingent of fans (me; I’m the contingent). Jonathan Hickman is another and he brought Cannonball (and Sunspot) to the Avengers during his stellar run with the team. Sam Guthrie is a charming young man from the South, polite, helpful, and hardworking. Cannonball is exactly the kind of character that does well in the MCU. He’s rather simple, which has made him more versatile than he seems. He’s an amazing character and if he came to the MCU, he (and Sunspot) would be huge.
