Genius Marvel Theory Explains How The X-Men Were Secretly In The MCU All Along

Patrick Stewart’s Professor X is arriving in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but a theory claims the X-Men were always secretly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Doctor Strange 2 trailer had a shocking reveal with Professor X and the X-Men. In the trailer, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) deals with Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) messing with the Multiverse, he fights across dimensions alongside America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and he even goes to trial over apparent Multiversal crimes. However, during Stephen Strange’s trial, a “Mystery Voice” says, “We should tell him the truth.” This voice apparently belongs to Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, so the moment puts the X-Men in the MCU.

Marvel’s Patrick Stewart moment has been a long time coming. The studio finished purchasing Fox entertainment assets in 2019, giving Marvel the right to use the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. However, the X-Men haven’t entered the MCU thus far. WandaVision teased the arrival of the X-Men with Evan Peters’ Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver. However, that turned out to be a trick. The Disney+ series reveals Peters’ character was just a brainwashed civilian named Ralph Bohner.

Though the Doctor Strange 2 trailer seemingly brought the X-Men to the MCU, they may have been secretly around the entire time. According to a theory (via Reddit), the X-Men were always in the MCU, but Professor X previously mind-wiped the world using Cerebro before the events of 2008’s Iron Man. The theory states that there was a significant conflict between humans and mutants, and it ended with a pact to erase humankind’s knowledge of the X-Men. Because of this pact, Magneto would give up his children, Wanda and Pietro, to a human family to live in peace. And Patrick Stewart’s Professor X would be hobbled from the endeavor, needing to use his wheelchair. Xavier’s school was always around as well, but it’s been operating in secret to help young mutants. Unfortunately, the Blip caused the mutant genes to explode, bringing mutants back into the public’s awareness.

If Marvel wants mutants always to be a part of the MCU, the theory could help. Cerebro, Professor X’s handy mutant-locating machine, is immensely powerful, allowing its user to locate mutants worldwide and even communicate and control them. Marvel has already done a worldwide memory wipe in Spider-Man: No Way Home, so the MCU could do it again with Professor X. The theory may even explain why Doctor Strange is on trial in Doctor Strange 2, with his worldwide Spider-Man memory wipe bringing him to Professor X’s attention. The X-Men are an essential part of Marvel’s comic books, so the theory would allow them to enter the MCU seamlessly, even solving the problem of Magneto being Wanda’s father.

However, there’s also an issue. Eternals essentially did the same thing, allowing the Eternals to live secretly on Earth for thousands of years without interfering with humankind’s problems. And with Doctor Strange already wiping the world’s memories in No Way Home, another memory wipe from the X-Men characters is too much of a retread. Plus, the Multiverse makes anything possible, so repeating stories isn’t necessary. However, mutants are arriving in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness somehow, and fans will be hard-pressed to think of a better reason than Professor X’s Cerebro.

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Bill Bradley
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Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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