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Five X-Men Who Could Thrive in a Solo Film

The success of X-Men films have proved that some characters who are part of the X-Men world really can flourish as stars of their own movies.

By Tom BaconPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Let's face it, for a long time the focal point of the X-Men movies has been Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. This year, another solo film featured Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool debuted, and proved that some characters who are part of the X-Men world really can flourish as stars of their own movies. But here are five other characters who could very easily stand on their own two feet!

1. Cable

Cable is another character created by Rob Liefeld. He's the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey (well, a clone of Jean Grey), taken to a dystopian future in order to save his life. While there, he led the charge against Apocalypse (yes, that Apocalypse), and ultimately became a time-travelling X-Man in his own right.

Known for his brutal methods, Cable's approach has often clashed with the traditional superheroes'. When you add to this the fact that he's tremendously powerful - a psychic on the level of his mother, with vast reservoirs of telepathic and telekinetic power. Most of the time, those powers are held in check by a techno-organic virus, which they're constantly warring against to stop from killing him.

Cable is reportedly going to appear in Deadpool 2, but - should Fox hire the right actor - there's absolutely no reason he couldn't go on to star in his own films. The character has had countless solo runs, and the hard-edged sci-fi style would give Fox another very distinctive brand.

2. Jean Grey

Famke Janssen played Jean Grey in the first three X-Men movies, but Sophie Turner's taking over as a younger version in X-Men: Apocalypse. First reactions are positive - from body language to hairstyle, she's the very image of Jean Grey in the comics.

Over in the comics, Jean has never starred in her own book; but there have been countless occasions when she's taken the lead in the X-Men team books, and the right actress could create a really powerful, charismatic character. Rumours are building that the next X-Men movies will explore the Dark Phoenix Saga, attempting to do a better job with the plot than the appalling X-Men: The Last Stand.

If Fox really are committed to the Dark Phoenix Saga - and I'm not so sure that would be a good idea - then having Jean star in her own film would be a smart move. Jean has often been relegated to one of two things: either a love-interest (even Xavier had a crush on her in the original comics) or the Phoenix. Doing something different, something fresh, would make viewers care about the character - and would make the Dark Phoenix Saga far more powerful on the big screen.

3. Mystique

The character of Mystique has been a central one in the X-Men franchise, and Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal has been vital since X-Men: First Class. Some fans have even been slightly irritated at how much she's been central to X-Men: Apocalypse posters, feeling that she's overshadowing the actual X-Men. Fox, meanwhile, seem desperate to keep the actress on board; they seem to be viewing her as the next Hugh Jackman.

Given these two factors - Fox's confidence in Lawrence's character, and the fact some fans are getting irritated at her overshadowing the X-Men - why not give her a solo film? Again, this would be an opportunity for some serious fun; imagine if Fox decided to do a spy story featuring a shapeshifter? Mystique would easily become the ultimate spy, slipping past her enemies with ease. She's got the added bonus of being devastatingly lethal!

4. Psylocke

Fan expectations for Olivia Munn's Psylocke are high - the actor's commitment to the role is impressive, and the design of the costume is unusually similar to that of the comics. It could well be that Psylocke is the most faithful interpretation of an X-Man in the main X-Men films.

I'm personally hoping that Psylocke will be the breakout star of X-Men: Apocalypse, and if so then could the ninja warrior star in her own film? Munn has indicated there are a few subtle nods to Psylocke's backstory that suggest it's stayed intact, and in the comics that backstory is seriously complicated. Surely a good plot could be found somewhere in there?

5. Storm

X-Men: Apocalypse is giving us a fresh take on yet another iconic mutant in Storm, now portrayed by Alexandra Shipp. Another of the Horsemen of Apocalypse, it sounds as though Storm has a tremendously cool character arc, and this portrayal even looks to emphasise the spiritual roots of the woman once worshipped as a goddess.

Storm is one of the central X-Men, and time and again she's played a key role in leading the team. Her power levels are off-the-charts (the trailers suggest we might actually get to see that, for a change), and her character is fascinatingly complex. If Alexandra Shipp can pull off the role, is there any reason the Windrider couldn't get her own film?

So there we are - five characters I feel are strong enough (if portrayed well) to star in their own solo X-Men movies!

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About the Creator

Tom Bacon

A prolific writer and film fan, Tom has a deep love of the superhero genre.

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