Do we really need Spider-Man and the X-Men in the MCU?

I think it's time that we come face-to-face with the reality that we may never see Marvel get those rights back.

As a respectable Marvel fan, I know I speak for a lot of people when I say that I want to see ALL of Marvel's properties sitting under one roof and coexisting in the same universe. The idea of all these heroes (and villains) that have been spit on by outside studios finally getting the justice they deserve makes me smile like nothing else could. Spider-Man and the X-Men are chief among the characters that fans want to be seen back at the house. But putting all wishful thinking aside, exactly what are the odds of that ever happening?



Let's face it. It's time to look reality directly in the eye and face the fact that we may never see Spidey or the X-Men team up with Iron Man or Captain America. Maybe in the next 20-30 years it's a slight possibility. (but considering the fact that by then I'll probably be married, with a family, a career, and sending a few kids to college.... it might as well be forever.) The truth is that what it would entail to get those rights back would have to be something extraordinary. For Spider-Man alone would take an amount of money even greater than what all of Disney paid to acquire Marvel. And even then, that's a little cheap considering that Sony has proven that one Spider-Man film can gross almost a billion dollars. Not only that, but consider the fact that Sony is just now rebooting the series. Imagine having a reboot immediately after a reboot of a series that's only 5 years old... That's ridiculous. The same thing goes for the X-Men. The only difference is that that Fox has yet to reboot, and probably won't reboot until we have The Wolverine, The Wolverine 2, X-Men Origins: Magneto, X-Men: First Class 2, X-Men 4, X-Men Origins: The Blob, ect... We can probably expect 10 years of X-Men films before we finally get a reboot starting the cycle all over again. It's not worth waiting on bended knee for Marvel to get those rights back.



But then I ask, do we really need them in the MCU? Okay now... don't get all upset at me. Of course we want them back for the sheer fact that only Marvel can bring these characters justice. But do we NEED them back?



Consider the fact that Spider-Man, for 40 years, has had little to no impact on the Marvel Universe. Of course Spider-Man is THE most popular character in all the Marvel Universe. But the difference between Superman and Spider-Man is that the DC Universe practically revolves around Superman, while the Marvel Universe doesn't revolve around Spider-Man. Even Marvel recognizes this. For 40 years Marvel has had Spider-Man essentially act as a loner. He's had no team affiliations and no important friends outside his own comics. He would probably fit better inside Nolan's universe than Batman, for the sheer fact that the DC shared universe needs Batman. If you don't believe me when I say that Spider-Man isn't that important, then ask yourself this. What if the MCU got rid of Captain America? That would really put a hamper on things wouldn't it? I think the MCU needs Captain America more than it needs Spider-Man.



The X-Men are in the same boat as Spider-Man. The villains they face are directly tied with the X-Men and nobody else. The stories that the X-Men encounter are all about the X-Men and nobody else. Mutantkind has little impact on Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor and the presence of mutants is not felt in any other comic series except for the X-Men. There's very little crossover between the X-Men and the rest of the Marvel universe outside of maybe Wolverine. The only real exploit I can see the MCU getting out of this acquisition would be a Wolverine/Captain America WWII movie or Wolverine vs. Hulk.



In short, both Marvel comics characters exist in their own separate spheres of influence within the Marvel Universe. Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor all exist in the same sphere of influence. And if you don't believe me, just look at the Marvel Expanding Universe Wall-chart. They're all in the same sphere, and this sphere is the largest and most central part of the Marvel Universe. At the center of this sphere lies the Fantastic Four, because they are perhaps Marvel's most important characters. They are what opens up and explains the Marvel Universe. They create a web of affiliations and influence stronger than any other Marvel character. Simply put, the Marvel Universe wouldn't be what it is today without the Fantastic Four. And they're not in the hands of Marvel Studios...



But it doesn't have to be that way. The Fantastic Four are currently under the wing of Fox and scheduled for the reboot treatment. But we haven't heard anything about that reboot for awhile now, which leads me to believe that Fox may not be sticking to their guns. Consider the fact that Fox's FF franchise weren't box office smashes like the X-Men or Spider-Man and the fact that they were also critically panned. Also consider that the FF are the most family friendly superheroes, mixed in with them also being the most important Marvel superheroes, and you've got yourself an acquisition that's ready to be made. If there's one acquisition that I know Marvel will make, it's the Fantastic Four. I think the opportunity is ripe for the picking and Marvel's ready to jump on it. Just imagine the possibilities.

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