Photo Credit: Marvel Comics
A new X-Men update suggests some iconic villains could be coming to the MCU in the near future.
Marvel Studios is developing an X-Men movie that is being directed by Jake Schreier, who previously helmed Thunderbolts*. No casting has yet been announced and the film does not yet have a release date, though it’s believed to come not long after Avengers: Secret Wars, which arrives in December 2027.
What is the X-Men update?
According to Alex Perez of The Cosmic Circus, Marvel has big plans for the Department of Damage Control (DODC) in Phase 7 of the MCU. The DODC has already begun to become more and more villainous since the death of Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame; however, their actions will reportedly start getting more sinister in the upcoming Wonder Man show and Spider-Man 4.
At some point, Perez says the DODC will morph into an anti-mutant enforcement agency.
“Its focus will be to apprehend any superhuman seen to be using their powers without any legal authority or oversight, which in their eyes will be anyone who isn’t on The Avengers,” the article states. “The agency will remain an antagonistic presence in the MCU, primarily against the X-Men in their upcoming movie and in forthcoming mutant-related solo projects. According to sources, the idea behind this storyline is to get the general public to fear superheroes and superpowered individuals, allowing the agency to secure federal funding, continue its experiments on them, and develop weapons to neutralize the ‘mutant threat.’”
On Twitter, someone theorized that this will be how Sentinels will ultimately be introduced to the MCU, which Perez said was correct. This is just a rumor at this time — and, if it turns out to be true, it’s not clear if Sentinels will be part of the X-Men movie that Schreier is directing or some other project.
Having said that, it definitely seems plausible, and Perez further says that this storyline could introduce Bolivar Trask and Nathaniel Essex/Mr. Sinister as recurring villains in mutant-related Marvel projects.
