10 Things The MCU Should Steal From X-Men: The Animated Series
Come on, we HAVE to get an orchestral version of the animated theme on the big screen.
With the MCU's release schedule delayed and The New Mutants having (finally) premiered, it feels like it’ll be forever until we see a new X-Men film on the big screen.
If there’s one silver lining, it’s that Kevin Feige and company have ample time to fine tune their plans for Marvel’s Merry Mutants. Should they seek inspiration, then our beloved X-Men: The Animated Series cartoon provides wonderful source material from which to steal.
More than a mere cartoon, X-Men TAS still ranks as one of the best superhero animated series to hit the small screen. While in no ways perfect, this Fox Kids cartoon from the early nineties had way more ups than downs.
From expertly juggling a number of characters to properly developing plots through long-term storytelling that had a number of twists and turns, it’s fair to say that X-Men TAS is a solid example of how to correctly bring Xavier’s comic book team to life.
Fingers crossed that Feige and his writers settle in on the couch and binge X-Men: The Animated Series on Disney+ before they finish scripting the arrival of the children of the atom.
10. Subvert Expectations Immediately
The Infinity Saga provided a number of awesome twists and turns that surprised even the most clairvoyant of fans. At the same time, Marvel have steadily maintained certain audience expectations.
With the exception of films like Endgame and Civil War, we've generally known that each film will end with our heroes victorious and their enemies largely defeated.
When the X-Men arrive, the MCU must subvert expectations right off the bat like the animated series did.
In the second episode of a children’s cartoon, one of the X-Men is imprisoned and another is seemingly killed. The MCU should show from film-one that this won’t be a cookie-cutter series by removing a few iconic characters from the playing field to establish stakes.
Imagine being reintroduced to a familiar character like Beast or Iceman, only to have them killed off immediately. Could they conceivably kill off Professor Xavier or even Magneto in film one?
Yes.
With the multiverse and time travel opening up endless story possibilities, there's a chance that the MCU could distance their X-Men films from the Infinity Saga through a bold opening.
Subverting expectations immediately will keep fans guessing in every subsequent scene.