'WandaVision' can introduce X-Men into the MCU using 'House of X' and 'House of M' storylines, here's how
During the San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed plans to introduce mutants to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The Fox-Disney merger has now opened up new opportunities for the MCU to bring Charles Xavier and his gifted students into the fold.
The X-Men may not be a part of the MCU but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any mutants in Marvel movies. ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ introduced the world to Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch and her twin brother Pietro aka Quicksilver, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
The Maximoff twins, who first appeared in a post-credits scene for ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ before properly getting explored in ‘Age of Ultron’, are mutants who first appeared as members of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants way back in the 1960s. The twins are the long-lost children of Magneto in the comics, an origin that was maintained for Pietro’s counterpart in the ‘X-Men’ movies.
In the MCU, the Maximoffs gained their powers after being experimented on by HYDRA using the cosmic energies of the Mind Stone. While this means they aren’t technically mutants, it wouldn’t take too much effort for Marvel to tweak that origin and say the Stone actually unlocked dormant powers they already had.
Having a mutant already in the MCU would allow the X-Men an easy introduction into the franchise and Marvel have already announced at least one upcoming project that could be perfect for this. The Disney+ series ‘WandaVision’ is easily the most confusing project lined up for MCU’s Phase 4.
Marvel has kept the show’s plot details closely under wraps. All we know for sure about the limited series right now is that it will feature a resurrected Vision (Paul Bettany) and take place after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’.
In the comics, Wanda is an extremely powerful but highly unstable mutant who can reshape reality itself using her abilities. ‘WandaVision’ could see her use her powers to create a “perfect world” similar to the ‘House of M’ storyline from the comics.
We will probably see her resurrecting Vision and we might even get to see her create versions of their children from the comics, William and Tommy. In the 'House of M' story, Wanda used her powers to reshape the world into her own idea of perfection, with mutants ruling the world and humans as second-class citizens.
Though the MCU hasn't had enough of the mutants to justify doing the storyline in its entirety, the idea of Wanda creating what she sees as the perfect world is something that could be retained. Of course, such a fantasy world cannot last forever so we’ll probably see Wanda lose control of her powers and her sanity. Thankfully, there is one man with plenty of experience helping hurt and wounded individuals with great power take control of their lives -- Professor Charles Xavier.
‘WandaVision’ wouldn’t even have to give a backstory to the X-Men. Jonathan Hickman’s recent take on Marvel's merry mutants in the ‘House of X’ comic-book series has them living on the hidden mutant island of Krakoa.
The idea of a mutant homeland is nothing new in the comics, the most easily remembered one being Magneto’s Genosha, which was tragically obliterated in an attack by the mutant-hunting robots known as Sentinels. All ‘WandaVision’ has to do is introduce the ‘X-Men’ as a reclusive group of mutants hidden away from the rest of the world for their own safety, similar to the Inhumans in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and the nation of Wakanda in ‘Black Panther’.
It’s also been announced that an adult version of Monica Rambeau, played by Teyonah Parris, will be part of the show. If Monica is revealed to be a mutant, she could easily be the one who alerts the X-Men to Wanda's potentially world-ending problem.
Xavier, being the charismatic leader he is, could simply reach out to Wanda offering his help and protection in the show's final episodes. In doing so, not only can the MCU seamlessly set up an ‘X-Men’ movie but they can also provide a brand-new take on the characters, one that audiences have never seen before.
‘WandaVision’ will be exclusively available for streaming on Disney+ starting in the Spring of 2021.
