X-Men: Days of Future Past erased the timeline of the Mutant Universe, effectively marking the reboot of the franchise. X-Men: Apocalypse marks the introduction of a younger generation of students, ones we have already seen on the big screens. Where will that lead us next? What will happen after the threat of Apocalypse passes?
And this is an interesting question, since the answer could show us a change in how Fox plans the future of the franchise. Why? The X-Men movies thus far have been known to have two sets of antagonists - there was always Magneto, and the others were the Hellfire Club, the Sentinels, Stryker…
In a sense, the continuity of the movies was ensured by the heroes themselves, as opposed to the other big Marvel franchise, in which everything points to the schemes of an uber-villain. So will Fox try to take the Mutant Shared Universe to new heights by mimicking the recipe of the MCU? Well"¦
This list is all about that - all about the super-powerful villains who could potentially appear throughout several X-Men films, moving toward one big, final confrontation.
Dark Phoenix
Let's get the obvious choices out of the way first - starting with the Dark Phoenix. We already had an adaptation attempt in 2006, in the much-criticized X-Men: Last Stand. Obviously, it didn't end too well, since Brett Ratner.
Why is this an obvious choice, though? Because Bryan Singer himself said that he would be interested in adapting this storyline. And we guess that one movie won't cut it. The young Jean Grey is introduced this year in X-Men: Apocalypse, and she already has a vision of, well, an apocalyptic future. Who’s to say that these events won't prove too stressful for her, forcing her to reveal herself as the Dark Phoenix?
But we guess this approach was used before - so what if Apocalypse himself has something to do with her transformation, whether willingly or not? As the concept art pieces teased, Apocalypse is in possession of Celestial technology. So maybe this path could be used in order to set up a future Dark Phoenix storyline.
We should also mention that adapting this storyline (in a proper manner) could also mean the introduction of some very interesting alien species, which would further expand the Mutant Shared Universe.
Apocalypse
Apocalypse, besides being the most powerful mutant, is also immortal. With four powerful horsemen at his side (one of them being Magneto), we are wondering how a group of teenagers, led by a somewhat useless mutant, can defeat him.
And that is why X-Men: Apocalypse might just be the beginning of a trilogy of movies, featuring the big baddie as the main antagonist. Obviously, this year's mutant extravaganza will end with him leaving the scene. Maybe a second flick will see him planning to take over some even more impressive mutants, while also introducing some of his acolytes. And maybe a third flick will literally bring the apocalypse - as in the second (or the third) soft reboot of the franchise.
This could work out pretty well, we guess.
If this happens, it could explain how Old Man Logan would be adapted as the final Wolverine flick. As far as we are concerned, as a villain, Apocalypse is good for a trilogy of movies.
The Inner Circle
While the Hellfire Club can be said to have failed in its plans to create an Earth just for mutants, this doesn't mean that it should all end there. With a history spanning centuries, and with members all over the world, it seems impossible that it could have been destroyed after just one movie (or two movies, if we take into account Days of Future Past, which showed the other members having been killed by Trask).
So maybe what we saw was just one of the Inner Circles of the Club. Maybe others exist, and maybe it’s time they made their presence felt.
There are quite a few mutants who could be introduced via the Hellfire Club's Inner Circles, including Madeline Pryor (a Jean Grey clone), Selene Gallio (who can introduce magic into the Mutant Shared Universe), and even Phoenix.
For that matter, even Magneto himself could resurrect the Club and become its leader. In this way, we could see the emergence of an evil organization that would appear in all of the X-Men movies, just as HYDRA appears in all of the Captain America movies (and others, too).
Mr. Sinister
We wanted a Mr. Sinister even more than we wanted an Apocalypse - so maybe Fox is indeed considering adding this villain to the roster. Furthermore, the character was teased last year at the New York Comic Con by none other than Bryan Cranston. So maybe it is high time for him to appear.
Knowing that he is a creation of Apocalypse himself, maybe this is an even better time. What if Sinister, already created, waits in the shadows for the defeat of Apocalypse? And what if he has a plan of his own to dethrone the uber-villain through the creation of the perfect mutant soldier?
Things fall right into place, we may say, and we can actually see such a villain trying to overthrow his creator (and succeeding). And, in a way, a connection between Sinister and all the X-Men can be established (for that matter, his genetic experimentations could lead to the creation of other super-mutants, or even to the awakening of powerful forces, such as the Dark Phoenix).
The Phalanx
Since Cable will be introduced in the second Deadpool movie, it would be pretty nice to see how he (Cable) received his metallic arm.
The Phalanx is a cybernetic species, able to infect organisms and thus increase its numbers. The infected beings retain some memories from their time prior to being infected, but they are no longer what they used to be. Their gain superhuman powers, including shapeshifting and teleporting. Which is pretty neat.
We can see the Phalanx as figuring sometime in the X-Men’s future, maybe as some other type of weapon used against the mutants. Since it cannot infect those with the activated X gene, Phalanx could be used by some mad scientist to enhance humans in their battle against the new species.
The Shadow King
In the comics, some of the most devastating superpowers are the ones that allow characters to impose their will upon others. The Shadow King used to be one of the most powerful telepaths, until he encountered a primordial being who took over.
It is safe to say that, on this level, he has no equal, being able to feed on the powers of other telepaths. Basically immortal, he can pose a threat to the X-Men, especially since only Professor X stands in his path at this point. To a certain degree, Shadow King could be the one to discover Jean Grey’s latent abilities, since he can sense the powers of beings who are unaware of them, themselves.
The manifestation of the dark side of humanity's consciousness, his storyline can be expanded over the course of several movies. And since he has the ability to possess other powerful mutants, it would be interesting to see how the professor and his students find out who the hidden puppeteer is.
Proteus
Proteus is another prime example of a mutant who can possess any being he encounters. The son of Moira MacTaggert, he is an omega level mutant so powerful that his own body couldn't sustain him. A psionic being, he must switch bodies in order to survive.
Besides Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix from the Last Stand, the use of Proteus in several X-Men movies would be the first time a mutant with reality-warping powers is presented. In the comics, he is kept in check after being sent into a coma by Professor X.
We can see that happening in the movies - but what if he merely fakes it, leaving his body at will in order to set his plans in motion? And what if, in the end, he decimates the X-Men, leaving only one to stand in his way?
This would be a perfect chance to reintroduce another fan-favorite character: Wolverine (if Old Man Logan will indeed be the final movie of Hugh Jackman). Why? Because Proteus has this ridiculous weakness, a sensitivity to metal"¦
Bastion
Basically the most powerful Sentinel, Bastion is the next step humanity should take after X-Men: Apocalypse. Why would they do otherwise, after witnessing first hand the destruction an omega level mutant can bring?
Born out of the two most powerful sentinels, Bastion is incredibly strong and fast, able to fly, and completely impervious to psychic attacks. He can control any other sentinel, as well as any kind of machinery - but this isn't all, since he can also transform normal human beings into Prime Sentinels.
Most interestingly, he doesn't look like a sentinel, and this makes him able to blend into a crowd - which would make him an awesome hidden villain, able to strike at will and then retreat. He could occupy a position of power and, over the course of a couple of movies, he could completely obliterate the X-Men. But, of course, he would be stopped by a Phoenix, Jean Grey.
Onslaught
Fans have been waiting for some time to see another favorite, Onslaught, appear on the big screen, to no avail. He is, basically, the creation of both Professor X and Magneto: after the former erases the mind (and bad intentions, so to speak) of the latter, all of the villain’s evil entered the hero. The entity Onslaught was created, and he’s a being with much power that he managed to kill the Fantastic Four and most of the Avengers before being defeated.
So what if"¦?
In the movies, we’ve already had Professor X say that he will never enter Magneto's mind again. What if he is forced into doing it anyway, and, as a result, he creates Onslaught? And this would just be the first movie - the second would see him destroy the X-Men, and the third would bring his defeat. It could work out"¦
Stryfe
Since we are getting Cable (who is from the future), maybe we can also get Stryfe, a clone of Cable. Coming from the 39th century, he is more powerful than the mutant from whom he was created. Possessing a blade with the ability to harm Apocalypse himself, an armor that is basically impervious to damage, and enhanced superhuman abilities, Stryfe was actually raised by Apocalypse.
It didn't end as planned, since he was revealed to be a clone - and this led Stryfe to be even more resentful toward those he considered to be his parents (Cyclops and Jean Grey, as well as Apocalypse). Throughout his quest, which obviously would need to span several movies, some other characters could be introduced (such as Bishop, another fan-favorite, who had just a cameo role in X-Men: Days of Future Past).
Doctor Doom
We know - but still: he is too good a villain remain unused. And, since Fox has no clue how to make Fantastic Four movies, maybe the studio should add Doctor Doom as a main antagonist of the X-Men. It would be pretty interesting to see how the mutants deal with Doom’s genius and how he comes up with all sorts of plans and contraptions in order to counter the mutant abilities of his enemies.
For that matter, this would be an opportunity to introduce magic into the Mutant Shared Universe - real magic, as opposed to mutant powers.
Deadpool
Because…why not? Deadpool is no hero - and he doesn't really need too much of a reason to completely obliterate the X-Men. Of course, he'd be an ally at first - maybe he should even appear in several cameos.
But, in the end, his true colors need to be revealed. And what could the ultimate scope be for Deadpool? Just as when he killed the Marvel universe, maybe he'll get tired of being just a comic book character turned comic book movie superhero. So maybe a change of pace would be all he needs.
We know - he doesn't really possess the power to solo alone against the entire X-Men mansion. But his ability to regenerate from any wound, along with his immortality, could mean that he'll be able to come back again and again, until the job is done.
And he can always bring some allies…
And, afterwards, we could have another franchise reboot!
