When Will the X-Men & Fantastic Four Make Their MCU Debut?

After months of speculation, Disney CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that Marvel properties formerly cinematically licensed to Fox, including the X-Men and Fantastic Four, will be directly overseen by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. The confirmation solidifies fan hopes that Marvel's Merry Mutants and First Family will one day fight alongside the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, but now the big question remains: When will eagerly anticipated integration of the properties into the Marvel Cinematic Universe take place?

While shareholders approved the $71.3 billion acquisition by Disney of the majority of Fox's assets this past July, the actual completion of the merger is still months away. The deal needs to be legally cleared at both federal and international levels, and while the acquisition is not currently expected to run into any unforeseen complications, this process still takes time. As such, the projected completion of the acquisition deal is forecasted for summer 2019. In other words, the cinematic rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four still legally belong to Fox.

The other major factor in planning the integration of the former Fox cinematic properties into the MCU is one of simple logistics. Marvel Studios historically plans out its entire release calendar years in advance. That being said, changing that schedule to accommodate fast-tracked productions is not without precedent.

Last year's Spider-Man: Homecoming was a relatively sudden addition after Disney and Sony agreed to a last-minute deal in 2015 to share the cinematic rights to Spider-Man and include the character in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. This year's Ant-Man and The Wasp was moved up to take Captain Marvel's planned release date after the latter film ran into delays securing a director. Adding a wrinkle to this situation is the fact that Marvel is still scrambling to replaced filmmaker James Gunn to helm Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 after Gunn's firing by Disney this past July, making its initial planned release date for 2020 increasingly unlikely.

With Marvel already readying films for principal photography for its 2020 releases, the earliest full films starring the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters could be anticipated is 2021. Feige claimed as recently as July that the studio currently had no plans for either property. Of course, this doesn't discount the possibility that last-minute cameos or supporting roles could take place, like Peter Parker and Aunt May's inclusion in Civil War. But there is another consideration making these late additions doubtful.

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Fox currently hasn't even finished producing X-Men films, with Dark Phoenix slated for release this February and The New Mutants the following August. On top of next year's releases, Fox is also currently developing an X-Force film written and directed by Drew Goddard, with Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, and Zazie Beetz all expected to reprise their roles from this year's Deadpool 2 -- and that's before the studio even gets to a third Deadpool solo film. Finally, the long-awaited Gambit solo film starring Channing Tatum as the titular mutant is reportedly still in development, with producers meeting with potential directors to helm the project.

While the Disney acquisition could definitively end plans for a Gambit film, the studio has stated it has no plans shelve other, already planned Fox films. So while Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants are a lock to be released, that may not receive any sequels, effectively ending the X-Men cinematic universe that began in 2000. Disney/Marvel may, however, retain plans for X-Force and Deadpool 3 given the popularity of the first two Deadpool films. That would designate future Deadpool films as effectively MCU-adjacent, which the Merc with a Mouth is sure to make fourth-wall busting fun of.

The Fantastic Four is more likely to make their MCU debut before the X-Men, but there is another consideration to keep in mind regarding their eventual integration: Marvel Studios may not want to rush reintroducing audiences to either superhero franchise, especially with X-Men films set for release through 2019. Some additional distance between the final Fox X-Men film and an MCU debut would help audiences distinguish between the two cinematic universes and mitigate immediate comparisons. And while it's been over three years since Josh Trank's poorly received Fantastic Four reboot, Marvel Studios will still likely take some time before integrating the characters into the MCU.

With the MCU's production mapped out through at least 2020, it will be at least until 2021 before the X-Men and Fantastic Four headline any films under the Disney umbrella. The possibility remains that the characters could appear in a support capacity, or as a mid/post-credits scene tease, but barring a special deal with Fox, this wouldn't be able to happen until late 2019 at the earliest. Even then, Marvel Studios has always exercised considerable restraint and foresight with its projects, so studio president Kevin Feige is likely in no hurry to rush their arrival. Knowing the level of anticipation, when the X-Men and Fantastic Four do make their eagerly awaited MCU debuts, it will likely be more than just a throwaway scene but a truly momentous arrival.