The future of the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe only got more confusing after Deadpool & Wolverine was released. The Shawn Levy-directed film featured many Deadpool easter eggs and was expected by many to destroy all of Fox’s timelines, ending with only Deadpool and potentially Wolverine coming through to the sacred timeline. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s cameos and easter eggs seemed to say goodbye to the universe, although the film’s ending does not seem to quite support that.

The X-Men are some of Marvel’s most celebrated characters, and anticipation for an MCU X-Men with new and returning characters is high. Michael Lesslie, writer of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, is attached as screenwriter, and the entry of a new group of mutants in the MCU seems likely to happen sooner than later. No details of a roster or a release date are yet available, and recent events from Marvel’s latest hit film has caused confusion about the franchise’s direction.

How Deadpool & Wolverine Sets Up The X-Men’s Future In The MCU

The Plan For Many Fox Characters Remains Unclear

Surprisingly, the X-Men’s future in the MCU is not made very clear by the ending of Deadpool & Wolverine. Rather than destroying the universe Earth-10005 exists in, the heroes of the film save it before returning to it. Deadpool does not end the movie inside the MCU’s universe, and neither does Wolverine. If anything, this ending seems to set the Fox universe up for even more X-Men stories by bringing in a new variant of Wolverine to effectively undo the ending of Logan.

Following the end of Deadpool & Wolverine, more things are unclear. Hugh Jackman’s intent to return for additional films, including Avengers: Secret Wars, has not been announced, although it has been rumored. Deadpool is back in his own universe with his own friends, so it feels unclear whether the character will be involved in future MCU films. The actual status of these heroes and what this means for the MCU seems to suggest that Marvel has not concretely decided what they want to do with these heroes, and so they are trying to keep their options open.

Deadpool & Wolverine Also Bid Farewell To Fox’s X-Men Universe

The Credits Featured A Montage Including The Fantastic Four And Daredevil

The mid-credits scene in Deadpool & Wolverine featured a montage of scenes from Fox’s Marvel movies as well as behind-the-scenes footage set to the Green Day song “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”. The song is popularly played at graduation ceremonies, and the sequence seemed inserted to say goodbye to the X-Men universe. The mid-credits were sweet and thoughtful, ending the Deadpool trilogy on a joyful and nostalgic note.

This altogether served to provide a wonderful look back at everything that Fox has contributed to blockbuster superhero cinema. Fox has been one of the most important studios when it comes to making superhero films. From X-Men and its sequels to Fantastic Four and Daredevil, the studio’s long list of successes and failures alike made the scene a final capstone for the franchise. This footage suggested that this was the end of Fox’s universe, which is confusing, because that is not what the movie’s plot revealed.

So, What’s Going On With The X-Men In The MCU

The Plan For Mutants In The Marvel Cinematic Universe Has Not Received Much Explanation

What seems the most likely explanation for this overall landscape is that Marvel does not want to commit either way. By returning the characters into a universe of their own, the film has essentially left the MCU in the exact same state it began in. This is especially confusing after Kevin Feige rated the movie as an 8/10 in terms of importance to the MCU. However, those ramifications will remain to be seen. With no Deadpool 4 yet confirmed, the future for these characters is only as limited as what can be imagined.

It seems decidedly likely that the universe was left intact in order for characters to return in the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars. While full details have not been provided concerning which characters will return for that film, the comics on which it is based have drawn from all across the Marvel multiverse to bring a diverse group of heroes together. The film is likely to do the same, featuring appearances from all throughout Marvel’s history, with rumors suggesting there may be return appearances from figures like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man.

The Marvels Also Complicates The X-Men’s MCU Future

The Film Features A Cameo By Kelsey Grammer As Beast From X-Men: The Last Stand

Marvel’s post-credits scenes have become more confusing recently, as the franchise has been setting up story elements which seem as though they won’t be resolved for a long time. The Marvels ended with a scene where Monica Rambeau wakes up at the X-Men mansion and sees Kelsey Grammar’s Beast. The intention of this scene a year later has not been made clear, and Deadpool & Wolverine does not offer any further explanation. It is unconfirmed if the universe Monica wakes up in is Earth-10005, or another world altogether.

Marvel’s trajectory has led to speculation that the studio was planning an Avengers vs. X-Men film, but that no longer seems to be happening anytime soon following the announcement of Avengers: Doomsday. The studio seems to be simultaneously building toward launching mutants in their own universe, as they did in Ms. Marvel, while also trying to use the pieces they like the most from the Fox X-Men movies, leading to confusion about the series’ direction.

Hopefully, Marvel has a concrete, long-term plan concerning all of this; however, after recent major changes to their universe, including the addition of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, there is reason to be uncertain that is the case. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has added additional confusion with its recent X-Men stories and teases, which will hopefully result in a satisfying explanation sooner rather than later. The franchise has only added more confusion with Deadpool & Wolverine, and answers are now sorely needed to understand where the X-Men fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.