A new theory might have just revealed how the X-Men will be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel fans have been on tenterhooks ever since studio president Kevin Feige announced the mutants would become a part of the franchise, awaiting word on how this might happen.
It was later reported that their induction could clash with the return of the Avengers in a film that would not be released until Phase Six, which is expected to begin in the mid-2020s. Other reports predicted Wolverine will appear as early as Phase 5.
A recent leaked image from Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also hinted at the characters’ arrival thanks to the emblem of a location key to the X-Men comics.
Regardless of whether their presence will be teased in that series, it seems the clue behind their introduction could actually lie with Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Reddit user JayNotAtAll has theorised that it’s the Infinity Stones that provide the tools necessary to bring the characters into the fold.
The theory claims that one or all of the stones possess the ability to activate the X-gene, which is what provides the X-Men with their mutant powers.
Furthermore, the theory concludes that fans have already seen an example of this happening – in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
The Reddit user argues that the Mind Stone provided Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and her brother Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) with their powers by awakening their dormant mutant genes.
Cast your mind back to Infinity War and Endgame. Not only do the character acquire all five stones, but Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) both snap their fingers while wearing the Infinity Gauntlet.
Could the collective energy caused by this event be the thing to awaken the dormant X-gene in human characters including James Howlett (Wolverine) and Marie D’Ancanto (Rogue)?
If so, the events of the Avengers films could be the catalyst to pave the way for the X-Men’s arrival in the MCU. Additionally, it would also provide a convenient reason as to why they are yet to appear.
During an Empire interview last year, Feige detailed a scrapped Avengers: Endgame scene that would have been extremely traumatic for kids and, at Comic-Con, named the Avenger that could have single-handedly taken down Thanos in the blockbuster.
Feige also revealed Gwyneth Paltrow had no idea Samuel L Jackson was in the MCU – despite co-starring in five films with him.
