When the X-Men join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are going to be some familiar foes waiting for a chance to get at them. A number of existing MCU antagonists have history with the X-Men in the comics, and could prove to be powerful adversaries for Marvel’s mutants on film as well.
Marvel fans are as eager to know which major mutant villains are going to join the MCU as which heroes. Yet it might be a shred move by Marvel Studios to first pit its X-Men against an established enemy, one fans will already recognize.
This would give mutantkind something to rally around, while also immediately strengthening their ties to the existing MCU.
Dormammu
A Destructive Demonic Antagonist That Deserves More Screen Time
Dormammu is among Marvel’s most powerful supernatural villains. He is primarily known as a foe of Doctor Strange, but he has fought the Avengers, and on occasion, the X-Men, in his long Marvel tenure. Most memorably, Marvel’s mutants once helped one of their own, Magik, drive Dormammu out of Limbo after he invaded that hellscape from his own infernal dimension.
Magik is among the X-Men heroes fans want in the MCU the most. She provides a natural connection between the supernatural side of the MCU and its new mutants. However, to really establish that connection, it needs to go both ways. Bringing in an existing demonic villain as an enemy for the X-Men to rally around Magik and fight would be a smart move for the MCU.
M.O.D.O.K.
A Minor MCU Villain The X-Men Could Warm Up On
A great superhero film franchise needs both major and minor villains in order to really thrive. M.O.D.O.K. already exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a minor villain, and his previous entanglements with the X-Men in Marvel lore prove that he can be a serviceable antagonist for the mutant heroes.
If the first MCU X-Men movie wants to hit the ground running, it should start with an action scene, and rather than waste the potential of an X-Men villain on a cameo appearance, the franchise could appropriate M.O.D.O.K. instead. MCU fans will recognize the character, and he can be used to effectively establish the mutant squad’s combat chops.
Mysterio
The MCU’s Master Of Deception Could Return To Target Its New Mutants
Mysterio is an iconic Spider-Man villain, one that is already established in the MCU thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal’s memorable performance in Spider-Man: Far From Home. If Gyllenhaal were open to an MCU return, rather than pitting him against the Webslinger once more, a resurrected Mysterio could be put to surprisingly effective use as an X-Men adversary.
Mysterio hasn’t tangled with the X-Men a lot in the comics, but he was memorably the villain who caused Wolverine to accidentally kill the X-Men in the iconic Old Man Logan series. The film adaptation went a different route, but this plot point could be lifted and used in a different context in the MCU.
Green Goblin
Norman Osborn Has More Levels Of Villainy To Ascend To
Like Mysterio, Green Goblin is most commonly known as Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis. Yet he has had a devastating impact on the wider Marvel Universe over the years, most notably during the Dark Reign era, when he became the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., renaming it H.A.M.M.E.R., and reforming the Thunderbolts under his direct control.
As leader of H.A.M.M.E.R., Osborn came in direct conflict with Cyclops’ X-Men, even forming his own counter-X-Men mutant squad. This storyline would make for a strong entry point for X-Men into the MCU, and it would be a major coup for Marvel Studios if they could put a recognizable face like Norman’s on the franchise’s first antagonist.
Red Skull
The Captain America Villain Has A Disturbing Connection To The X-Men
Of course, Red Skull is, first and foremost, Captain America’s greatest foe. Consequently, he has primarily been an Avengers adversary over the years. Still, the villain can lay claim to what is, hands down, one of the most disturbing moments in X-Men canon: a clone of Red Skull carving open Charles Xavier’s skull and stealing his brain.
It is a disturbing moment the MCU might not adapt wholesale, but the surrounding story would be fitting. The wild start to Marvel’s crossover Uncanny Avengers series involved Red Skull’s clone developing a hatred for mutants and running rampant. Skull also formed his own “S-Men” team to fight his mutant enemies.
In other words, this storyline is actually tailor-made for the MCU. It merges the Avengers and X-Men into one team, allowing the mutant heroes to acclimate to the MCU alongside established characters, while pitting them against an already-iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe villain, whose re-entry to the film franchise is easily facilitated by the clone plotline.
Red Hulk
MCU Fans Want More Red Hulk; An X-Men Appearance Could Provide
Captain America: Brave New World introduced Red Hulk to the MCU, but ultimately, it only provided a fraction of the action fans wanted from the character. Red Hulk might have longer odds as an X-Men enemy, but there would certainly be few better ways of letting him flex his crimson muscles than pitting him against the new mutants on the block.
Red Hulk could perhaps turn in a spectacular battle performance against the X-Men early in an MCU film, before teaming with them in the end, in a familiar pattern established by many previous Hulk stories, in both the comics and the movies. Alternatively, Red Hulk could be a future Avengers antagonist, and fight the mutant heroes the team is likely to incorporate.
Loki
A Trickster Variant Could Mess With Marvel’s Mutants
Tom Hiddleston’s MCU tenure seemingly isn’t over yet, and while he might stick to cameos in the future, if he were up for another big role, it would be a bold move to return to a more villainous version of the character. His time battling the Avengers might have passed, but the X-franchise could provide fresh new material.
Of course, one beloved cinematic variant of the Trickster delivered a memorable redemption arc, but there are plenty more Lokis up to no good across the Multiverse. Loki has had some memorable encounters with Marvel’s mutants in the comics, but at the same time, the MCU could forge new territory in their potential connection.
Abomination
A Powerful Foe For The X-Men To Prove Themselves Against
Like M.O.D.O.K., Abomination could serve as a minor villain for the MCU’s X-Men, a familiar face that they could test their mettle against early in a film. In the comics, the perennial Hulk antagonist has had a select few encounters with mutant opponents, and his record is mixed.
Of course, Abomination would be best suited for showcasing the strength of mutant heroes like Colossus and Juggernaut, or to highlight the team coming together strategically to take out a rampaging foe. As with all the villains listed here, pitting Abomination against the X-Men would help make their entry into the MCU feel more cohesive.
