The X-Men have been capturing the imaginations of comic book readers since the inception of the team in 1963. The team has long been about the struggle of being different in a world that frowns upon unconformity. This message along with a colorful cast of characters sporting various unique appearances and powers ensured that it resonated with fans. Meanwhile, the X-Men film universe has seen its fair share of ups and downs over its 18 year history. X2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Deadpool, and Logan showed the heights that this franchise can reach when handled correctly. X3, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and X-Men: Apocalypse showed how poor this franchise can be when mishandled.
With a property as popular as the X-Men, it’s inevitable that fans would develop their own theories to explain plot holes, expand their favorite characters’ mythos, or make the content even more interesting to them. Fan theories offer audience members who can’t get enough of this franchise a fun outlet for them to discuss the movies further. This has spawned a great deal of them. Some of these fan theories are funny, some spiteful, and some well-researched. Here’s a few of them with these 15 insane fan theories about the future of the X-Men movies.
15 SEBASTIAN SHAW CAUSED A SPLIT IN THE TIMELINE
It’s no secret that the X-Men movie timeline is in disarray. The movies are filled with continuity errors and contradictions. While X-Men: Days of Future Past remedied some of them, there are still issues that exist with X-Men: First Class, which takes place before any of the events in Days of Future Past.
This fan theory believes that the culprit of these is actually First Class’s main baddie, Sebastian Shaw.
With time travel already an established commodity in the X-Men universe, this fan theory believes that Shaw was able to travel back in time to begin his plans to create his perfect mutant society. This theory explains his appearance in the same concentration camp that a young Magneto was shown in at the beginning of X-Men. His meddling in time would explain all of the inconsistencies between First Class and the original X-Men trilogy.
14 CABLE IS THE KEY TO STOPPING THE FUTURE IN LOGAN
Josh Brolin is all over the superhero genre now. After altering reality forever as the Mad Titan Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Josh Brolin will play the time traveling mutant cyborg Cable in Deadpool 2. Fan theories have been swirling over what his role will be in the plot, but one particular theory believes that he'll have a huge role in the entire X-Men film Universe.
In this fan theory, Cable is from the same future that Logan was set in. In the this future, he's one of the mutants that Alkali created. He eventually grows disillusioned with the eradication of mutants and decides to go back in time to stop it. However, it won't be easy so he'll need some help...X-Force anybody?
13 X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE WAS ANTI MUTANT PROPAGANDA
This fan theory has a little fun at the expense of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The fourth movie is easily the most hated movie in the entire X-Men film series. The film managed to draw the ire of fans and critics by disrespecting the source material, throwing together a weak plot, and giving everyone terrible CGI. But what if this movie is beyond terrible for a reason?
One fan put forth the theory that X-Men Origins: Wolverine is actually an in-universe propaganda film designed to subliminally make people hate mutants because of how poorly they’re portrayed.
There is some evidence to support this theory plausible. There is an action figure in Deadpool that is the exact same as the Deadpool from X-Men Origins. On top of that, Sabretooth, Emma Frost, and William Stryker look very different than in any other movie.
12 DEADPOOL TAKES PLACE IN LOGAN’S X-MEN COMICS
Deadpool was critically loved and raked in an incredible amount of money at the box office. But its self-referential nature, flighty tone, and liberal use of rated R elements made it feel far different from any other movie in the X-Men movie universe. So why does Deadpool seemingly existing in his own pocket universe where everything goes? One possible explanation is that he’s not real.
According to a fan theory, Deadpool actually takes place within the universe of the X-Men comic books shown in Logan. In the movie, Logan said that the comic books would liberally embellish the real life characters and events. Colossus is never shown to be that big in the movie universe, yet suddenly he’s massive in Deadpool. On top of that, no new mutants were born after the 2000s according to Logan. In that case, Negasonic Teenage Witch should not exist.
11 THE OLD MAN IN THE DEADPOOL 2 TEASER WAS UNCLE BEN
In 2016, Deadpool showed that superhero movies could still survive being self-referential if they were done right. The movie succeeded due to a combination of Ryan Reynolds’ embodiment of the character, hilarious writing, and an effective plot that allowed the movie to be itself while avoiding feeling like it was gratuitous. This success has paved the way for Deadpool 2.
This fan theory that has been spreading around the internet focuses on the old man that died in the Deadpool 2 teaser trailer due to Deadpool’s inability to change into his costume as fast as Superman.
The theory is that the man that was shot by the robber after a prolonged struggle was actually Ben Parker. Yes, Uncle Ben. This would be a perfect example of the kind of irreverent humor that Deadpool is known for. It could even be used to poke fun at Fox Movies’ acquisition by Disney.
10 YUKIO’S PREDICTION CAME TRUE
Logan wounded audiences everywhere as they were drawn into the complicated relationship between a trio of characters who were both wonderfully acted and well written, only to see all but one of them meet tragic and poignant ends. Even more painfully, one of those characters was the beloved Wolverine. But what if we told you that his death was predicted in his previous solo outing The Wolverine?
In The Wolverine, Logan allied himself with a mutant named Yukio who possessed limited precognition. Yukio saw his eventual death and said he would be on his back, with “blood everywhere” and “holding his heart in his hand”. Many believed it was connected to the nanotech parasite attached to his heart, but he survived that ordeal. However, during Wolverine’s actual death in Logan, he’s on his back, covered in blood, and holding Laura, his daughter and figurative heart, in his hand.
9 HOW VICTOR CREED BECAME SABRETOOTH
The X-Men movies following X3 seemed determined to undermine the established world in the interest of telling their own story the way they wanted to. In the original X-Men trilogy, Sabretooth looked and acted extremely feral and, while he developed a rivalry with Wolverine, they had no connection between them. But in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Sabretooth looks more human, he’s Wolverine’s half brother, and they fought together through several wars.
This may just be the will of Fox, but a fan theory provides an in-universe theory for it.
In the movie William Stryker made it clear that Sabretooth would not survive the adamantium bonding process like Wolverine did. So this theory believes that, in lieu of Adamantium, Stryker uses gene and hormonal therapy to advance Sabretooth’s mutation to give him his more feral appearance. He then decided to wipe Sabretooth’s memory to turn him into a more obedient soldier.
8 THE X-FORCE ROSTER
The long-awaited appearance of Cable in the X-Men movies has fans leaping for joy, not just at the character’s inclusion but also at the implications of that. Cable has long been the leader of X-Force, a more militant offshoot of the X-Men. Fans got even more excited when Mark Millar said it will be cool when “we have our five” which confirms that there will be five team members.
Who will the five be? Deadpool and Domino will both be in the same movie as Cable, so they’re an easy choice. If Cable is indeed from Logan’s future as another fan theory posits, Laura, or X-23, would be easy to include and would surely jump at the chance to save the future and meet her father. The fifth slot is likely either Archangel, who we’ve seen in X-Men: Apocalypse is a bit loose cannon, or Warpath, a longtime X-Force member.
7 MAGNETO’S MACHINE IN X-MEN ACTUALLY WORKED
The original live action X-Men movie was a cinematic achievement. Not only was it one of the first comic book movies after Batman & Robin destroyed the comic book industry, but it was also the first comic book movie to feature an ensemble cast. The movie was about the X-Men recruiting Wolverine and stopping Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants who had created a machine to turn humans to mutants.
Magneto’s test subject, Senator Kelly, died afterward, prompting the X-Men to assume that human bodies will reject induced mutations.
However, according to this fan theory, the machine actually worked just fine. It made Kelly into a jellyfish-like creature that’s primarily made of water. And Jellyfish can’t survive on land for long. Perhaps the reason he died because he was on dry land for too long and not because his body rejected the mutation.
6 THE X-MEN UNIVERSE IS PART OF THE MCU MULTIVERSE
Ever since the MCU started teasing that their heroes lived in one interconnected universe, fans saw the potential for the recreation of their favorite moments from comic books. However, due to logistical issues, not every character available to the Marvel Comics would be available for Marvel Studios to use in their interconnected universe. The only answer was for the fans to desperately search for a way to connect the two universes.
This desperation led to the many fan theories that believe that the MCU and X-Men/Fantastic Four Universe are all a part of a much bigger Marvel multiverse. The multiverse is a massive aspect of Marvel Comics, with the collision of multiverses being the catalyst for their massive 2015 event, "Secret Wars". Now that Disney has acquired Fox Movies, this fan theory may have some steam behind it.
5 JFK’S MUTANT POWER WAS “SUPERHUMAN CHARISMA”
In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Magneto was imprisoned in the Pentagon for allegedly assassinating John F. Kennedy. This definitely wouldn’t be out of character for the militant Magneto. However when Professor X, Beast, Wolverine, and Quicksilver rescue him, he reveals that he was actually trying to save Kennedy because he was “one of us”. It doesn’t take a comic book expert to deduce the implications of what Magneto said.
So if John F. Kennedy is a mutant, what was his ability?
Well Superhuman charisma would be a power that’s very effective at granting someone the presidency. Kennedy could have had superhuman charisma or hypnotic suggestion as his mutant powers. This makes sense as Kennedy was known to be very adulterous. His real life health problems could also be weaved into the theory as the result of taxing his mutant power.
4 THE MUTANT CURE DIDN’T WORK
If it wasn’t for the laughably bad X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men 3: X-Men United would easily be the worst movie in the X-Men series. Most of the problem had to do with characterization ranging from inconsistent to downright bad, a terrible script, and way too many characters and storylines. One of the storylines presented in the overstuffed movie was the introduction of a mutant cure. This was a big deal as it was used to defeat Magneto. Except it wasn’t a big deal according to this fan theory.
Despite the fact that he was injected with three syringes of the cure, Magneto had his powers at the beginning of X-Men: Days of Future Past. On top of that, if there existed a cure for mutants, then why was it necessary to hunt them down with Sentinels? The only solution is that the cure simply didn’t work.
3 APOCALYPSE’S ORIGINAL MUTATION WAS SIMILAR TO ROGUE’S
En Sabah Nur, also known to X-Men fans as Apocalypse, was the first ever mutant. Born in ancient Egypt, he collected other mutant powers and advanced technology to become one of the most powerful opponents that the X-Men have ever faced (supposedly). But what was Apocalypse’s original mutant ability that allowed him to amass such power?
If this fan theory is to be believed, Apocalypse’s mutant power is very similar to Rogue’s.
Rogue can absorb the life force and abilities of other people with a touch. With a powerset like this, Apocalypse could absorb mutant abilities and find some way to keep the abilities permanently, perhaps through another mutant. This is the easiest way to explain him having such a diverse set of abilities when no other mutant has shown such a wide range of powers.
2 MUTANT EXTINCTION IS INEVITABLE
This fan theory is more than a little dark. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Hank McCoy presents the theory that time cannot change. No matter how much you tinker with it, the outcome is inevitable. Obviously that was proven wrong when the movie concluded and the dystopia with Sentinels erasing mutants vanished. But what if Beast was actually right and all they did was delay the inevitable?
Fans may note that in Logan, mutants were still essentially extinct despite the X-Men’s efforts in Days of Future Past. This time, they were killed off via pharmaceutical means instead of via Sentinels. The dates aren’t even far off from one another with X-Men: Days of Future Past taking place in 2023 and Logan taking place in 2029. This just further backs up Beast’s morbid theory that time is immutable and mutant extinction is inevitable.
1 PROFESSOR X GAINED ANOTHER POWER
Before the MCU made it a requirement for superhero movies to include, X-Men 3: X-Men United had a single post credits scene teasing a huge plot point. During the movie, Professor X was killed by the Phoenix Force. In the post credits scene, a medical patient was seen speaking to Moira MacTaggert in Professor X’s voice, implying that he transferred his consciousness to a new body. Professor X has never had the ability to transfer consciousnesses, so how did he suddenly do so in X3?
This fan theory believes that Professor X developed a secondary mutation that allowed him to transfer his consciousness.
The theory goes on to say that Charles developed this mutation after Apocalypse nearly possessed him in X-Men: Apocalypse. Apocalypse could also transfer his physical attributes to the host body as well and that explains why Professor X looks like the person he transferred his consciousness to.