Marvel Have Already Shown How X-Men Could Enter The MCU

3. What Is The Terrigen Mist?

Terrigen Mist X-Men Storm
Marvel Comics

Back when the Disney-Fox rivalry was at its peak, an edict arrived at the offices of Marvel Comics requesting that both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four (whose onscreen rights belonged to Fox) be phased out of the Marvel Universe. The Four were the first to go, only mounting a proper comeback (coincidentally) this year, and then it came the X-Men's turn, with Marvel attempting to replace them with the infinitely less compelling (and inherently problematic) Inhumans.

Though the Inhumans are interesting in a great many respects, they're no mutants. They lack all the themes that make the X-Men so relatable to begin with, and though that's a conversation for another time, it's one worth repeating - irrespective of the fact their on-page resurgence could yet provide Disney with the perfect explanation as to why mutants have never been mentioned in the MCU.

In the comics, the Terrigen Mist acts as the catalyst for those of Inhuman blood to develop their powers. During Jonathan Hickman's Infinity Arc, Black Bolt detonates a Terrigen Bomb to ward off the forces of Thanos, which spreads throughout Earth's atmosphere. Every descendant of the Inhumans then gains powers of their own, the most famous of all being Kamala Khan, the new Ms. Marvel.

It's bad news for Marvel's Mutants though, as prolonged exposure leaves many de-powered, weakened, or even dead. Change one or two things about it, though, and you actually have the perfect way of introducing them into the MCU.

Advertisement
Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.