The fact that Vision’s power-set has been adapted so brilliantly in the MCU spells good news for one very deserving member of the MCU’s X-Men.
One potential member of the titular team in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot in the MCU can showcase her powers to the fullest, thanks to Paul Bettany’s Vision. Shortly after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox was finalized in 2019, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige teased the introduction of mutants into the MCU. Since then, Kamala Khan and Namor have been confirmed to be mutants, while X-Men variants including Professor X and Beast have also appeared in the MCU, and more are on the way in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, potentially 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, and the MCU’s X-Men movie.
Not much is yet known about the MCU’s official X-Men team, and Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot hasn’t been given a scheduled release date, so it may be quite some time before real details become clear. However, there are dozens of powerful mutant superheroes from Marvel Comics that could get a coveted spot on the X-Men team, potentially including original founding members Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel and Jean Grey’s Marvel Girl. One X-Men member from Marvel Comics has been wasted in live-action and animation, however, meaning the MCU can give her a better chance at showcasing her full power.
Vision & Kitty Pryde Share An Ability That Has Worked Well In The MCU
Marvel Comics’ Kitty Pryde was the youngest mutant to join the X-Men team back in 1980’s The Uncanny X-Men #129, being recruited to the X-Men at only 13 years old after an altercation with Emma Frost’s White Queen and the Hellfire Club. After operating under the monikers of Sprite and Ariel, Pryde adopted the persona of Shadowcat, which became her longest-lasting superhero moniker. Despite being one of the X-Men’s most exciting members, Kitty Pryde has been neglected in live-action and animated adaptations of the X-Men, but Marvel Studios has already proven that she can be done better in the MCU.
Kitty Pryde’s primary mutant ability in Marvel Comics is intangibility, which allows her to phase through solid objects. This power could easily look silly in a live-action adaptation of the character, but Marvel Studios has already proven this can be one of the most powerful abilities on-screen. Most notably, Paul Bettany’s synthezoid Vision exhibits this same power, which has allowed him to phase through individuals such as Ant-Man, Hawkeye and White Vision, and has aided in attacks against Ultron robots and other Avengers during Captain America: Civil War. Vision’s effectiveness proves Kitty Pryde’s powers will work perfectly in the MCU.
Kitty Pryde Deserves A Spot On The MCU’s X-Men Team
Even though Kitty Pryde didn’t join the X-Men until 1980 in Marvel Comics, she deserves to get her due among the MCU’s official X-Men team. Kitty Pryde was adapted for Fox’s X-Men franchise, portrayed by Sumela Kay in 2000’s X-Men and Katie Stuart in 2003’s X2, but perhaps most notably by Elliot Page in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, she was never seen as a key figure, and animation hasn’t done her any favors either. Kitty Pryde made appearances in five animated series, but Marvel refused to integrate her into arguably the most successful.
Following the failed 1989 pilot of X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, Kitty Pryde was replaced by Jubilee in X-Men: The Animated Series. This lull in popularity meant that Pryde never made an appearance in The Animated Series, and is yet to appear in the 2024 revival, X-Men ’97. Being snubbed from these successful projects means that Kitty Pryde needs justice more than many other X-Men members, and the MCU can provide this. Marvel Studios’ X-Men is expected to bring many mutants heroes and villains into the MCU, and it’d be fantastic to see the intangible Kitty Pryde be among them.
