10 Marvel Franchises That Could Replace The Avengers

5. X-Men

Let's be honest, if there was any franchise that has proven it can go toe-to-toe with the Avengers, it's the X-Men. They've been in the game longer, possess instant appeal, and though their introductions presents certain difficulties for Marvel (namely, why haven't mutants never been addressed before), seeing Wolverine, Cyclops, Shadowcat and the others suit up in the MCU will likely give fans little time to dwell on them.

There isn't really much that can be said about the X-Men other than the fact Disney will be very keen to capitalise on the license as soon as possible, and though the crossover potential is there as well, it would be better to flesh out a new interpretation of the mythos, rather than jumping straight into an Avengers vs X-Men-style clash.

Again, there is the matter of Disney's buyout of Fox to complete before fans can start preparing for an MCU full of X-Men, but it shouldn't be long before approval is given. It's also reasonable to suspect that Disney's absorption of Fox was - at least marginally - spurred by a desire to prepare for an MCU post-Avengers, and in rivalling that particular team, Xavier's mutants are the only ones who stand a chance.