It’s only a matter of time before the X-Men make their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, fans have wondered when the team will show up. Marvel Studios has been dropping hints in recent projects about mutants, working things up to a fever pitch. One question fans have about the X-Men’s MCU concerns which villains the studio will introduce.
The X-Men have a vast roster of villains, from well-known antagonists to obscure opposition. Many of their obscure villains bring cool concepts to the table, but they may be too weird for the MCU. Whether it’s because of their powers, their appearance, or the fact they won’t fit the MCU villain formula, their chances are slim.
10 The Skinless Man Leans Toward Body Horror
The Skinless Man battled Wolverine’s Uncanny X-Force, both on his own and as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. His mutant powers allowed him to manipulate his elastic skin, which had multi-sensory properties. Brought into the Weapon Plus program, given enhancements, and rechristened Weapon III, he’d run afoul of Fantomex and lose his skin.
The Skinless Man’s name is literal, making it unlikely he’ll join the more sanitized MCU. Even though the powers he displays before losing his skin are stretching based, Marvel seems to be reserving elastic powers for Reed Richards. Without his skin, the Skinless Man manipulates his muscles instead, which is even grosser, sealing the argument for why he won’t make an appearance.
9 Emplate’s Family And Mutant Powers Are Too Complicated
Emplate was the main villain of Generation X for years. The brother of Monet St. Croix, the mutant vampire imprisoned his sister in her Penance form, which forced their twin sisters Nicole and Claudette to merge and masquerade as Monet. For more casual MCU fans, the St. Croix’s struggles with each other and their various identities would prove difficult to follow.
Beyond that, Emplate’s general design is just too scary for the MCU. He has a monstrous appetite for mutants and feeds on them, using tiny mouths found in the palms of his hands. There’s no way he’ll appear in the MCU without undergoing significant changes first.
8 Horde Feels More Like A Thor Villain
The X-Men have faced all kinds of challenges over the years, appearing in stories that run the gamut of sci-fi, fantasy, and pretty much every kind of genre superheroes can work in. A perfect example, the galactic warlord Horde abducts the X-Men, Captain Britain, and Meggan to retrieve the Crystal of Ultimate Vision.
After Horde slaughters the team, Wolverine uses the crystal’s power to beat him and regenerate the others. X-Men fans have grown accustomed to wild stories like this one, but it’s more in line with Thor’s epics. Since he doesn’t fit the casual conception of an X-Men villain, Horde remains unlikely to appear in the MCU.
7 Abyss’s Powers Are Too Strange
The Age Of Apocalypse is hugely influential to Marvel, but it’s highly doubtful the MCU will reference it. It may show up in an episode of What If… down the road, but some elements won’t make the cut. One of those will be Abyss. The newest Horseman of Apocalypse when the story started, the bizarre mutant just doesn’t fit the MCU.
Abyss’ body is made up of coils that allow him to pull foes into a dark dimension inside his body. He’s a pretty cool mutant, but his powers aren’t flashy or interesting in a fight. He’s also a stereotypical rampaging villain from over twenty years ago. The best hope he can hope for is a cameo appearance.
6 John Sublime Would Muddy The Waters
Grant Morrison’s New X-Men was revolutionary, brimming with their usual high concept ideas. One of those creations was John Sublime, a being who became the overarching villain of their entire run. A bacteriological consciousness, Sublime had existed for billions of years, evolving alongside humans and mutants.
Sublime took control of humans and mutants alike and desired to be the sole life form on Earth. While the concept proved perfect for an X-Men story, it would be difficult to incorporate into the MCU’s larger narrative.
5 Sauron Is Cool But Might Run Into Legal Trouble
Sauron is a great X-Men villain who doesn’t make enough appearances any more. Karl Lykos becomes a vampire of mutant energies, transforming into a powerful pterodactyl man when he feeds on mutants. Created by Marvel writer extraordinaire Roy Thomas and artistic legend Neal Adams, he feels like a perfect fit for the MCU.
The problem lies with Sauron’s name. There’s a chance Marvel may run into legal complications with Amazon or Tolkien’s estate for using a character with such a famous name. Beyond that, Sauron is pretty obscure. As cool as it would be to see Sauron on the big screen, it won’t happen.
4 The Dark Riders Were Apocalypse’s Inhuman Servants
One of the stranger X-Men related groups to debut during the 90s were the Dark Riders, a group of Inhumans who worked for Apocalypse. The obscure group didn’t make many appearances. Eventually, a feral Wolverine spelled their demise.
The whole concept of a group of Inhumans working for Apocalypse, who was all about mutant supremacy, is a bizarre plot thread even for the X-Men. It’s easier to use the Horsemen of Apocalypse, who everyone knows. Besides that, the MCU doesn’t look to be exploring Inhuman storylines anytime soon.
3 Cassandra Nova’s Origin Is Too Extreme
Cassandra Nova is another Grant Morrison creation. She’s one of the X-Men’s most dangerous villains, a powerful psionic talent who can overwhelm even the most formidable beings in the Marvel Universe. She’s Professor X’s twin, who he killed in their mother’s womb after she first tried to murder him.
Cassandra survived and returned to attack the X-Men several times. Her ulterior motive behind trying to destroy mutantkind was to make her brother miserable. Her origin would prove complicated and extreme for the MCU’s usual formula, and tweaking her origin would take away some of the character’s most interesting aspects.
2 Harry Leland Constantly Gets Left Out
The Hellfire Club became an important part of X-Men history, debuting during the landmark story “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, and Mastermind would make plenty more appearances down the road, with the first two becoming very popular. Donald Pierce became somewhat important, leading the Reavers, and Mastermind would make occasional appearances.
On the other hand, Harry Leland met his demise shortly after his initial debut. The gravity controlling mutant proved rather powerful, but he was often defeated in strange ways. With powers like his, Leland could’ve become unstoppable, but then the X-Men could never win. Combining these factors, Leland’s strange track record wouldn’t help him secure a spot in the MCU.
1 Mojo Exists To Make Fun Of The Entertainment Industry
Chris Claremont’s record-breaking tenure as Uncanny X-Men writer crafted several brilliant concepts, including Mojo and Mojoworld. Mojoworld served as home of the Spineless Ones, a race addicted to entertainment. Whoever had the highest rating became the most powerful. Creating shows full of suggestive material, Mojo cemented a position of power over his homeworld.
Mojo exists to roast various elements of the entertainment industry through extreme satirical elements. If Disney and Marvel want an MCU Mojo to stay true to his character, they’ll have to let the entertainment kingpin keep his savage insults. There isn’t much Marvel can change about Mojo if they want him to keep his intensity, meaning the villain can say goodbye to an MCU role.