By Phil Barker; Edited by Daniel Paiz

The Walt Disney Company is currently in the process of purchasing assets from 21st Century Fox including 20th Century Fox, Fox’s stake in Hulu, and other entertainment assets for $71.3 Billion.

The purchase is currently seeking international regulatory approval before both companies finalize the deal. An exciting aspect of this purchase is Marvel Studios will acquire all Marvel related film rights that Fox held the past 19 years.

This means that the X-Men and Fantastic Four can be adapted and integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a longtime comic book fan, the idea of these characters finally meeting and existing in the same universe is an exciting prospect.

Marvel Studios will have to wait until the purchase is approved and finished before planning outn these new additions. Therefore, we have a long wait before seeing the X-Men or Fantastic Four in the MCU.

Floating around the internet by several scoopers in the know is that initial plans would be rebooting these characters and only adding Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool to the MCU. This would allow Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios the freedom to tell any story they wish and be able to cast new actors for long tenures.

While there are Fox marvel movies I enjoy (Logan, Deadpool 1 & 2, First Class, X2, X-Men: Days of Future Past) I am ready to see the property handled with a fresh perspective. Too often characters I love in the comics were misused or ignored when it came to their film appearances. There are a wealth of stories and characters that Fox never attempted to adapt. These unused characters are also very diverse in power sets and backgrounds, which makes for interesting casting opportunities.

There is also the possibility that some of these characters will live on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney +, before crossing over with the movies. The possibilities are endless. Here are five characters and teams that I hope to see join the MCU. (Note: I tried to pick teams and characters I like that are off the radar. Everyone wants to see Wolverine, Doctor Doom, Mister Sinister, etc.)

1. Shi’ar Empire and Imperial Guard

The Shi’ar Empire is a vast alien empire stretching across many worlds in the comics. They have been frequent allies and enemies of various teams in the Marvel Universe. The Shi’ar aggressively expand their power and conquer hundreds of worlds while their Imperial Guard, made up of elite champions from those conquered planets, enforce their rules and laws across Shi’ar territory. The Shi’ar and their religion believe in strength gained by marrying cultures, which is an interesting twist to a what a traditional imperial societal structure normally looks like.

Marvel Studios could use these themes on a cosmic scale to tell a unique story that’s different from their other cosmic properties. A recent variation of the character Smasher, Isabel Kane, could be an interesting place to introduce the Shi’ar Empire. She is a college student from Iowa who inherits the Smasher powerset and goes on several adventures with the Avengers and the Shi’ar.

2. The Brood

The Brood are longtime foes of the X-Men and Carol Danvers when she was Ms. Marvel. These alien insectoids are a telepathic and parasitic hive mind that need host bodies to reproduce. Any abilities, powers, and knowledge the host body had is passed down to the newborn brood. They can deliver a paralyzing or poisoning sting and also have difficult to penetrate bodies with sharp claws and teeth.

Marvel Studios could take these villains in a horror sci-fi direction as these creatures are terrifyingly brutal in the comics. Their primal instincts to survive and breed at all costs would create a very interesting smaller scale story that is less about saving the world and more about survival. (Imagine X-Men mashed up with Alien!)

3. Generation X and the Phalanx

Generation X is an offshoot team of teen X-Men led by Banshee and a newly reformed Emma Frost. This team consists of Jubilee, Chamber, Gaia, M, Husk, Mondo, Penance, Skin, and Synch. The youthful nature of this comic served as a great backdrop to explore navigating teenage life while having extraordinary powers.

Generation X had a notable conflict with the Phalanx. The Phalanx is a collection of mutant hating humans who self-infected themselves with the techno-organic transmode virus in order to attack mutants as living weapons. They tried to abduct young mutants and harvest their organic matter, which led to clashes with Generation X and the X-Men.

Generation X and the Phalanx could be utilized in a number of ways. The Phalanx being born out of bigotry, hatred, and ignorance would serve as a great counter to Generation X’s hopeful optimism, diversity, and unity. A television or streaming series would be the perfect medium to introduce these characters and give enough time to fully develop their relationships and conflicts.

4. S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department)

S.W.O.R.D. is a space based counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D. headed by Abigail Brand. The agency deals with intergalactic threats to humanity. From alien invasions to counter intelligence and reconnaissance, there are plenty of moving parts and elements to draw from. Abigail Brand is also a very mysterious half human/half alien that has mysterious superpowers and impressive spy skills.

S.W.O.R.D. would be a natural extension to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the MCU and more specifically Agents of Shield. The MCU seems to be shifting the status quo post Avengers: Endgame with several cosmic properties. Having S.W.O.R.D. as an Earth based vantage point could be an interesting way to keep humanity in the loop on galactic happenings.

I would love to see a Jason Bourne or Mission: Impossible style series or film in space for a S.W.O.R.D. agent like Brand to showcase her skills. S.W.O.R.D. also ties into several comic events that have been teased in the MCU such as Secret Invasion and Dark Reign.

5. The Wizard

Bentley Whittman is an extremely intelligent supervillain and constant enemy of the Fantastic Four. The Wizard became a wealthy and famous inventor before losing the spotlight due to the Fantastic Four’s exploits. He has led the Frightful Four and is a member of the Intelligencia, a supervillain version of the Illuminati.

The Wizard could be used in many ways by Marvel Studios. He has been a prominent enemy of the Fantastic Four while also clashing with the Avengers, Spider-Man, S.H.I.E.L.D, and more. His intelligence and constant scheming could have him manipulating various people and events to achieve his goals.

Think of all the possibilities…

The MCU is about to expand in ways we never thought possible. The potential addition of Fox’s Marvel assets makes for an exciting and unknown future for fans everywhere. What characters and formats are you hoping to see these new characters show up in? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Phil ‘PhuturePhil’ Barker is a Producer/DJ, Writer, and Fan. You can find him on Twitter @PhuturePhil.