The 20th Century Fox/the Walt Disney Company merger has finally happened. It marks a huge and historic shift in the industry which will have a large impact on the landscape of media and the employees involved. While events are still unfolding, it will be interesting to see what this new acquisition means for the future of cinema.
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The merger does give Marvel Cinematic Universe fans reason to celebrate though, as the deal returns a number of properties to Disney and Marvel’s ownership. Since rumors of the merger surfaced, fans have speculated what the MCU might do with these classic characters and when they might appear in future movies. With a huge history of characters to draw from, The X-Men have been at the center of hot debate, discussing who should appear, what storylines should be adapted, and who should be cast. But not everyone from the X-Men’s lengthy roster should feature on the big screen. Here’s a rundown of ten X-Men characters who shouldn’t make it to the MCU.
10 10. Skin
Manipulating your body isn’t a bad power to have. It’s one Mr Fantastic has effectively used for decades. But for Angelo Espinosa—codename Skin—it’s possibly one of the most useless mutations in the X-Men universe as he drags six feet of excess skin around. Yes, it can stretch and shrink and move on command, but only his skin can do that, not his skeleton, which means he can’t change shape or structure. His skin sags when he’s relaxed and keeping a “regular” human appearance requires extreme focus which gives Skin migraines, so he couldn’t even help in an undercover mission. Why introduce someone described as a “melted candle” when you can have Mr Fantastic?
9 9. Kylun
A lion-like mutant with two magical swords, even the comics have never really figured out what to do with Kylun. They eventually resorted to making him appear increasingly feline-like and “feral.” He’s an excellent fighter and swordsman, but his distinctive mutant power is acoustikinesis: the ability to use his vocal chords and perfectly mimic any sound he hears. While it might be useful for getting him into places or out of trouble, it’s not best suited for combat.
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Combined with Stark Industry’s high-tech gadgets and the ability to record voices or download sounds to your cellphone, Kylun would be made completely redundant in the MCU.
8 8. Stacy X
Stacy X can use her pheromones to induce bliss or pain. Originally using her powers while working as a sex worker at the mutant brothel, X-Ranch, she later joined the X-Men in an effort to do something more with her powers. Her character’s been fairly hard done by in the comics over the years, being described as “slutty yet fun” and a “mutant prostitute” by her team-mates. Her introduction seems like an outdated, awkward attempt to be edgy. It wouldn’t be impossible to craft a decent story around Stacy X, but the squeaky-clean family fun setting of the MCU probably isn’t the right place to experiment.
7 7. Chamber
Jonothon “Jono” Starsmore gained his mutant powers following an explosion. The psionic energy blast became embedded in his chest and lower half of his face, destroying his body and self-esteem. He is only capable of communicating telepathically, which left him feeling isolated. Nevertheless, he’s been integral to X-Teams, even being one of the original members of Generation X and a descendant of Apocalypse. He’s a cool character with some really great storylines. His abilities make him difficult to work into stories, however, so he’s a hero best left on the comics page rather than cramming into the MCU.
6 6. Joseph
A young, long-haired Magneto. Joseph is a literal clone of the Master of Magnetism created by Astra, hoping a younger version of Magneto could kill the original. Their first fight led to the clone losing his memory, being nursed to health, and shipped off to Xavior’s Institute. The X-Men distrusted him, believing it was really Magneto with amnesia, but let him join anyway. Magneto would clash with his clone again, ultimately winning as Joseph sacrificed himself to save the world. Why include a half-baked clone of one of comics’ greatest villains when you can introduce the real deal?
5 5. X-Man
After stealing DNA from Cyclops and Jean Grey, Mister Sinister created Nathaniel Grey in the Age of Apocalypse, crossing all boundaries in hopes his creation would defeat Apocalypse. Nate found himself on Earth after a battle with Apocalypse’s son, Holocaust, and made way to his Earth-616 parents and adopted the imaginative codename, X-Man. The Gary Stu of the X-Men, Nate is ridiculously superpowered, with his telekinetic abilities even more powerful than Jean Grey’s. He proclaims himself a “mutant shaman” and is one of the most obnoxious characters to grace the pages of the X-Men. There’s no room for Nate Grey’s abs or ego in the MCU.
4 4. Lifeguard and Slipstream
This sibling pair are being packaged together as they’re equally as dull as each other. Heather (aka Lifeguard) has bio-morphic abilities. She can adapt her powers to suit the situation which means she’s useful in pretty much any circumstance imaginable. She’s sprouted wings, grown extra arms, and even been able to breathe underwater as required. It’s a useful power, but one that gets pretty boring quite quickly. Davis (aka Slipstream) can teleport anywhere. Also useful! The downside? He can only channel his powers through his surfboard, so he needs to take it with him everywhere if he wants to use his ability. The pair are a forgettable homage to ‘90s beach bums.
3 3. Broo
The MCU has proven that they can take some of the weirdest characters from Marvel Comics and let them steal the spotlight with Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Goose being some of the biggest fan favorites. The MCU would have their work cut out with Broo. A member of an alien race named the Brood, he is considered a mutant by his race because he feels compassion. He has a pretty interesting backstory and occasionally gives into his animalistic instincts which makes him an intriguing character who can go rogue at any moment. The problem is that he is simply a generic alien with high intelligence, and oh so obnoxious.
2 2. Adam X the X-Treme
The resounding success of Captain Marvel proves that movies set in the ‘90s can work. That doesn’t mean we’re clamoring for a return to ‘90s X-Treme X-Men on screen. While Lifeguard and Slipstream were cringe-worthy clichés, their biggest fault was being a bit dull. Adam X the X-Treme, however, is everything we long to forget about the ‘90s in one hypermasculine package. With armor covered in blades, long, flowing, blonde hair (complete with a couple of braids), and even an X-Men-branded cap which he wore … backwards. There are plenty of mutants from other worlds looking to uncover their roots that the MCU could choose from. Hopefully Adam X the X-Treme remains in the past.
1 1. Bailey Hoskins
Hoskins is so useless, he literally had his own comic run called X-Men: Worst X-Man Ever. It’s not a title likely to win you a leading role in the MCU. Bailey Hoskins, aka X-Ceptional, can make his entire body explode. But not in a cool, pyrokinesis kind of way like many other X-Men. He can do it only once. So, he wears a special suit to protect him and doesn’t get to do much of anything at the X-Academy: the weirdo in a group of weirdos. While the concept is great and he’s an interesting addition to the comics, he risks getting lost in the huge roster of heroes in the MCU.
NEXT: Bringing the X-Men into the MCU Holds Risks for Marvel