Summary
Marvel is in trial-and-error mode once again, something that isn’t necessarily good for a property as well-established as the MCU, especially when theX-Menare slowly being drip-fed to the universe. Withthe various production issues on a variety of MCU projectsfrom their television initiatives to their movies, it can feel to some like Marvel is scrambling to get things back on track. One option they seem to be hoping will do just that is their new Spotlight projects.
Moving forward, the MCU is in a bit of an interesting state, so introducing new characters will become paramount, though it could be argued that is already the case. A new generation needs to lead the MCU forward, and that can be hard to do without heavy hitters. Luckily, theX-Menare seemingly on the way, and the Marvel Spotlight projects might be the best way to bring them in.
RELATED:RUMOR: Deadpool 3 Cast May Have Added An Underused Former X-Men Star
What Makes Marvel Spotlight Different?
With a lot of street-level characters and simply brand new characters altogether to introduce to casual MCU fans,the Marvel Spotlight brand is a dream come true. Supposedly, the focus is going to be to highlight character-driven narratives for those individuals in the MCU who may not be as established as the likes of the Avengers. If these stories remain disconnected from the wider MCU, as has been suggested, this allows for creatives to get back to storytelling without the heft of MCU lore weighing down the decisions that can be made.
Echois set to be the first of the Marvel Spotlight stories to be released, and when it does, fans will have a better idea of what it means for an MCU project to have a spotlight. If the series does end up playing out as a way togive a spotlight to characters with a lower shot of having solo movies, Marvel Spotlight could serve as the form of choice to introduce new characters. Introducing a character like America Chavez inDr. Strange 2wasn’t a bad idea, but the bombastic nature of the film and the massive cameos absolutely overshadowed the introduction to the point that many people have forgotten the character entirely. Creating a new brand that prevents an issue like that will certainly be key for the MCU moving forward.
$296.3 million
$75 million
82%
$407.7 million
$110–125 million
85%
$460.4 million
$210 million
57%
$353.6 million
$140–160 million
86%
$746 million
$200–205 million
90%
$543.9 million
$178 million
47%
$252.4 million
$200 million
22%
First and foremost, the Marvel Spotlight projects should focus on mutants who will either be founding members of the MCU X-Men or will eventually be added to the classic team of mutants. While the line-ups for the MCU X-Men are still only something that can be speculated on, there are a handful of classic mutants and ones that have yet to receive the kind of love that fans want that could be focused on. Some ofthe first mutants that come to mind to join the MCUand also could benefit from a Marvel Spotlight series would be the likes of Gambit, Rogue, Cyclops, Shadowcat, and Psylocke.
Considering certain X-Men characters are basically foregone conclusions to be key members of the MCU lineup (talking about Storm, Nightcrawler, Marvel Girl,and as has already been teased, Beast), Marvel has been presented with a unique opportunity. Characters who have already had plenty of shots on the big screen but have failed to really land with audiences could get a new spotlight, and some of the bigger characters something like that applies to are most of the mutants that have already been named. Giving Cyclops a chance to actually connect with fans through a series before his introduction on the big screen might pay off, especially if he ends up as the leader of the team.
At the same time,giving Gambit the series fans have been beggingfor is only going to go over huge with the MCU fanbase. Letting audiences spend time with mutants one by one takes away the burden of glossing over various powers and backstories for the sake of a movie’s runtime, meaning the X-Men are in a fantastic position to uniquely benefit from the Marvel Spotlight brand. Even more unique mutants could be highlighted to give a lot more variation in the tone of the series, with Marrow, Magik, Havok, and Bishop in mind.
Power absorption
Kinetic energy generation and manipulation
Pyrotechnic energy plasmoids generation and manipulation
Optic blasts
Telepathy and psionic control
Skeletal manipulation
Ambient energy conversion
Energy absorption
Sorcery and teleportation
Giant-Size X-Men#1 (May 1975)
There are so many great ways that Marvel Spotlight could bring mutants into the fold. A great way that would keep in line with what the new projects are intended to do would be to use them to show off the mutants’ lives.Take the popular character Rogue for instance, a series could bring in a new backstory for the character, or strive to adapt her comic origins. This would allow fans to connect with the struggles of the young character, what it was like when her powers first manifested themselves, and the manipulation that can come from the wrong people getting their hands on people with great potential.
If all of that were to take place before Rogue officially appeared in an X-Men title, those who take the time to watch the Marvel Spotlight series would be rewarded with being able to better connect with the character and understand her more. Those who haven’t watched the series wouldn’t be left out to dry either, as it isn’t hard to throw in a few lines here and there to characterize Rogue, especially as she talks with other members. Even further, her powers are easy to establish over the course of an opening fight sequence with the right creatives making decisions behind the scenes. All of this is incredibly important because, inan interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kevin Feigemade it clear that the X-Men are on their way:
““There’s the return of the animated series next year, which we’re very excited about. I saw some new final episodes today, which really bring you back to that core of who the X-Men are and that soap opera that those characters represent. And then in live-action, people will see,” he continued. “Perhaps soon."”
That’s just one idea, as there are so many great options available. Marvel could shock the world by giving Jubilee her own Marvel Spotlight run, something that could end in a shockingly familiar plotline with the X-Men to call back tothe original run ofX-Men: The Animated Series. There really is no limit to what could be done with Marvel Spotlight, and while it will be most effective in introducing oddball characters, there’s no shortage of oddball X-Men. Only time will tell when the X-Men will start popping up properly in the MCU.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
MORE:The Marvels: Ms. Marvel Actress Iman Vellani Refuses To Watch One Of Marvel’s Biggest Bombs
