X-Men Relaunch Wishlist: 7 Things We Want To See

Marvel has been making a big deal out of increasing diversity over the last couple of years. We don’t need to spill any more digital ink over it, other than to say it’s well known that Thor and Wolverine are currently women, there’s a black Captain America and a black Spider-Man, etc. With the X-Men, Marvel has a real opportunity to introduce the type of diversity they’ve been chasing without stealing the mantle of an established hero. The X-Men has produced some of the biggest breakout stars of comics, the most relevant example being Wolverine, of course, but there have been others like Cable, Gambit, Storm, Rogue, and even newer ones like X-23 and Quentin Quire that are quite popular.

Marvel can kill two birds with one stone here. By increasing the popularity of the X-Men, it will probably lead to more diversity in the readership since A) X-Men appeal to adolescents and B) X-Men appeal to those who are different. And when these new readers clamor for more non-white, non-cis characters, the X-Men will offer the perfect venue. No more race or gender swaps, just create a brand new character that benefits from association with a popular franchise. No one can make the argument that we have to change the race of an established character because no one will be interested in a brand new one. A brand new standalone character, maybe not, but a brand new X-Man? Well, if they play their cards right, they could be a star!