The mutants are finally back in the Marvel family. There have been multiple "X-Men" films, but now, for the first time, they will be sharing the screen with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and other Marvel heroes. But, as great as the crossovers are for fans, the general audiences need more to fully invest in a presumably rebooted "X-Men" series.
Another Wolverine co-starring the X-Men series would not work. The "X-Men" films that Disney kick starts in a few years should be anything but a carbon copy form the X-Men that have come before.
5. Give Wolverine a break!
I love Wolverine as much as the next guy, but even I know the character needs a break on film. Whether you like his interpretation or not, actor Hugh Jackman defined how audiences saw Wolverine for almost 20 years. It's time for other members of the expansive X-Men roster to get the spotlight, specifically the team leader, Cyclops, who has been shafted in almost every film he appears in.
As popular as the character always was, Wolverine in the source material was never the star of the X-Men, but just a small memorable part of it. Marvel Studios would be wise to do the Spider-Man technique, which is to keep him on the shelf for a few years, then when audiences are hungry for more of the character, they bring him back.
It allows audiences to move on from Jackman and become more accepting to a new ( shorter?) actor that wants to put their own spin on the iconic character. When other X-Men have had their focus and anticipation is through the roof, that is when you bring Wolverine back.
4. No Magneto... right away.
Magneto may be the X-Men's most iconic villain, but he needs time on the shelf just as much as Wolverine. With almost every X-Men film, Magneto has played an integral role in the story, and the character is a great foil, but the X-Men have many more compelling villains than the "master of magnetism".
For instance, Magneto is not needed in the upcoming Fox film, "Dark Phoenix", which is said to focus on Jean Grey's battle with her literal inner demons and the X-Men struggling to do battle with their former teammate, which is already quite a bit of story without Magneto added in.
Actors Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender have done great things with Magneto, but there are other villains for the X-Men to fight. You can only do the Magneto teams up with the X-Men, then turns on them by the end of the film angle so many times before it becomes repetitive.
I believe Marvel will do great things with the character when the time comes, but for now, let's see someone new antagonize the group.
3. Make the Team Teenagers.
The X-Men were originally conceived as a teenage team consisting of five members: Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), and Angel. The Fox X-Men films have tended to jump into the team as full-fledged adults, and when they are teenagers, most of the focus is on Professor X and Magneto as opposed to the actual team.
Teenage heroes in the MCU are too few and far between, with Spider-Man and Shuri currently being the sole exceptions. A teenage X-Men series could potentially be a classic coming-of-age journey for the mutants akin to "The Breakfast Club," instead of a straight superhero extravaganza.
A teenage mutant might have second thoughts about helping humanity if the superheroes in the world around them are praised and celebrated. The relationships and angst of the heroes should be front and center, not the superpowers.
2. Secret identities!
One of the main factors that make the general public in Marvel so weary of the X-Men is not only because some can't control their powers, but they wear masks. The identities of most, if not all, of The Avengers are public knowledge, but when it comes to the X-Men, that information is not out there.
The X-Men don't have a world-renowned wealthy benefactor. They are not operating under the government, and they are their own party. Being your own unregistered group in the MCU can be a very dangerous thing. As seen in "Civil War," the government will take drastic measures to control super beings. This could be where the government-sponsored mutant-hunting robots, The Sentinels, could fit into the larger scheme of things.
The secret identity angle may be overdone (Marvel have tried to steer away from it up to this point), but with the X-Men, it works to differentiate the group from the other heroes in their world. Plus, seeing more superheroes with masks is classic old school superhero.
1. Call the first movie "The Uncanny X-Men".
The comic nerd in me would love and appreciate this.
Though all of their films are not perfect, Marvel Studios have always embraced their source material and stayed true to their characters for the most part. The X-Men films at Fox were superhero films that helped pave the way for others like "The Avengers", but they always had the potential to be better.
The X-Men from the 1990s cartoon with the colorful suits was something that was looked at the time as not being able to translate well to film, but that is what Marvel Studios does best. If you embrace the source material as opposed to rehashing, the X-Men could be as popular as ever.
