The Marvel Multiverse is about to crack open wide. And that means that at long last, mutants are coming to the MCU. We’ve had some X-Men hints already, but when Wade Wilson crashes into the MCU in Deadpool 3, he’ll be bringing Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine with him. And if we were to take Sir Patrick Stewart’s hints seriously, it seems Professor X and maybe even Magneto may also go along for the ride.
And honestly, with Avengers: Secret Wars coming up, we feel confident that we are getting one last hurrah for the Fox X-Men. We suspect their reality will be part of the eventual Battleworld in Secret Wars. And if it is, that means we are going to be getting some long-awaited Avengers vs. X-Men live-action rumbles. Heck, some may happen as soon as Deadpool 3. Here are the AvX fights we are dying to see play out on theater screens in the coming years.
The Hulk vs. Wolverine
If there’s one big “Avenger vs. X-Man” fight everyone on Earth wants to see, including Hugh Jackman and Mark Ruffalo, it’s the Hulk fighting Wolverine. In the pages of Marvel Comics, these two have a long-standing rivalry. In fact, Wolverine first appeared in the pages of Incredible Hulk, not in Uncanny X-Men. We just hope it’s classic, rampaging Hulk and not smart Professor Hulk. We want to see the most feral versions of Logan and the Jade Giant go toe-to-toe. This one needs to get ugly.
Iron Man vs. Magneto
Yeah, we know, Tony Stark is very dead. But if we’re getting a Battleworld in Secret Wars, it means that some version of Iron Man will be around. Will it be Robert Downey Jr. as a variant? Maybe it will be Tom Cruise as “the Superior Iron Man” as was once rumored? Who knows? Regardless, we want to see the Man of Metal vs. the Master of Magnetism. It’s happened several times in the comics, with various outcomes. But the prospect of RDJ (hopefully) trading not only punches but sarcastic comments with either Sir Ian McKellen or Michael Fassbender has us salivating at the thought.
Captain Marvel vs. Rogue
In the original Fox X-Men films, Anna Paquin’s power-absorbing Rogue was significantly less powerful than her comic book counterpart. A big reason why was that in the comics, Rogue was able to permanently steal a portion of Carol Danvers’ powers, allowing her permanent super strength and flight. With Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel now a major MCU player, we’d like to see Rogue take her on in a fight, and siphon some of her powers. Then, we’d have the two powerhouses actually have a real down n’ dirty battle. The ability for the X-Men and Avengers characters to share a screen now means this storyline can finally see live-action glory.
Scarlet Witch vs. Phoenix (Jean Grey)
The most powerful members of both the Avengers and the X-Men are a pair of women who, at their peak powers, can reshape all reality. Or, more pointedly, destroy it entirely. Jean Grey is the host of the cosmic Phoenix Force, while Wanda Maximoff is the prophesied Scarlet Witch. If these two do battle, everyone else shouldn’t just clear the room, they should clear the whole darn planet. If we see Famke Janssen finally unleash the Phoenix Force at her full potential at an equally powerful opponent like Wanda, we’re in line for this on day one. It would make up for the shoddy treatment Jean Grey received in both Dark Phoenix Saga adaptations.
Captain America vs. Cyclops
Both the X-Men and the Avengers have had their share of leaders. But the quintessential field commanders of both teams were almost always Cyclops and Captain America. And whenever the two teams clashed, often the iconic image on the comic book cover was the sight of Scott Summers’ optic blasts ricocheting off Cap’s vibranium shield. We’re good seeing Scott take on either Cap, be it Sam Wilson or Steve Rogers. With the multiverse in play, anything is possible. Regardless of who Cap is, it would be nice for James Marsden to finally get to truly show off his skills as the iconic mutant hero.
Thor vs. Storm
One is a Norse God of Thunder. The other is a mutant “weather witch.” Both wield the power of lightning. So yes, Thor vs. Storm has all the ingredients for an epic showdown. Sure, Thor has an advantage, being an immortal god and everything. Storm is a mortal mutant, despite being worshipped as a goddess by her African tribe. But we know Ororo Munroe would give Odinson a run for his money. In the comics, Storm even spent time on Asgard, and was bequeathed her own enchanted hammer, Stormcaster. So she’s not unfamiliar with their forms of combat. These are some sparks we can’t wait to see fly on screen. We’re sure both Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry would have a ball filming this fight.
Scarlet Witch vs. Magneto
In the comics, Magneto is the father of Wanda Maximoff. Well, most of the time. Marvel retcons have changed that fact occasionally. However, he definitely raised her from her teen years on. Yet due to rights issues, Wanda’s relationship with her mutant dad could not be acknowledged on screen. But with Disney now having rights to the X-Men characters free and clear, we want to see the Scarlet Witch encounter her deadbeat dad, and maybe even show the Master of Magnetism who the real power in the family is. As powerful as Magneto may be, his little girl might hand him his butt.
Deadpool 3 hits theaters on November 8, 2024. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are currently set to release in 2025 and 2026.
