6 X-Men Villains Who Could Make Their First-Ever Movie Appearances In The MCU

Published Oct 6, 2026, 7:30 PM EDT

Nicholas Raymond is an author and journalist based out of Alabama, where he proudly roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, he has a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism.

Despite the sheer number of X-Men projects that made it to the big and small screen over the last few decades, a long list of X-Men villains continues to be without even one live-action appearance. However, the highly anticipated resurgence of Marvel's Merry Mutants could change that. Slated for a 2028 release, Marvel Studios' X-Men movie is on track to introduce viewers to a new generation of mutant superheroes.

Most details regarding the film remain under wraps, but knowledge of the casting does provide an interesting picture as to what its foundation for the X-Men's future might look like. From the looks of things, Jean Grey, Cylops, Angel, Rogue, and Storm will all be on the initial roster when the MCU's X-Men story kicks off. As for why they'll be fighting, it's already known that Adam Driver has been cast as Mister Sinister, one of the most prominent members of the X-Men's Marvel Comics rogues' gallery.

Mister Sinister is a notable addition to the MCU's X-Men cast, partially due to the fact that he's never been used in live action before. And based on how many X-Men movies have already been made, there's a significant limit on what characters the MCU's upcoming X-Men projects can use that fit that description.

In some form or another, previous X-Men adaptations have already explored the likes of Magneto, Mystique, Juggernaut, Bolivar Trask, the Sentinels, Apocalypse, Lady Deathstrike, Silver Samurai, Sabretooth, and so many more. Mister Sinister was arguably the biggest villain who hadn't been touched at all yet. However, he's not the only major villain the MCU could introduce that audiences wouldn't know from a previous live-action X-Men movie or show.

Avalanche

Fox's X-Men movies tapped heavily into the X-Men team's supervillain counterpart, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, specifically in the original trilogy. During these films, the X-Men had to contend with various Brotherhood members, including Magneto, Mystique, Toad, Pyro, and Juggernaut. One who was curiously skipped over - not only in these films but all X-Men movies that followed - was Avalanche, a longtime mutant minion to characters like Magneto and Mystique in the comic books.

Avalanche possesses seismic powers that allow him to create devastating earthquakes from the force blasts he emits from his hands. With these abilities, Avalanche could pose a great challenge to the X-Men and make for a thrilling action sequence. If Marvel ever seeks to assemble its own interpretation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Avalanche would definitively deserve consideration for a roster spot.

Arcade

Although not a mutant, Arcade is one of the X-Men's most dangerous villains. A ruthless killer, Arcade is a mercenary with an unorthodox approach to taking out his targets; rather than kill them outright, he sets them loose in his so-called theme park, Murderworld. All sorts of traps and schemes await those enter Arcade's Murderworld and try to escape. To him, killing is somewhat of a game, which is why he prefers to let his enemies have a fighting chance.

Surviving Murderworld has acted as the basis for numerous Marvel Comics story arcs, most of which involved the X-Men. Several X-Men cartoons and video games have taken advantage of this framework, but so far, the movies have steered clear of Arcade. However, an evil mastermind obsessed with hunting people for sport could be an interesting formula for an X-Men movie, possibly with Arcade stepping into the role of a villain the heroes have to beat on their way to take on the main antagonist. Such an arc could be a compelling mix of The Most Dangerous Game or The Running Man and the superhero genre.

Exodus

In contrast to characters like Avalanche and Arcade who would most likely serve as secondary antagonists if used, Exodus stands out as a strong candidate for a main villain role in a future X-Men installment. In Marvel Comics, Exodus is a 12th-century Frenchman who was transformed into one of Earth's most powerful mutants by Apocalypse.

A character with a tragic backstory, Exodus shares a unique history with the Black Knight, which could become relevant to the MCU if it chooses to capitalize on the introduction of Kit Harington's Dane Whitman and the Ebony Blade in Eternals. In the comic books, Black Knight's personal friendship with Exodus was a factor in the latter's eventual break with Apocalypse in the 1990s.

Similar to how the MCU built toward Thanos steadily, it's easy to imagine the X-Men movies taking their time introducing Apocalypse as the team's ultimate adversary. In fact, the MCU may be doing that already, since Angel's role gives the MCU setup needed for one of the villain's chief henchmen. Marvel could also use a battle with Exodus as a precursor to a higher-stakes showdown with Apocalypse.

Mojo

In the 1980s, Marvel Comics dove into a place called the Mojoverse, a strange dimension known for its televised gladiator games. The original protagonist of the Mojoverse stories was Longshot, a mutant hero with the ability to manufacture his own luck. Longshot's goal was to free his world from Mojo, the grotesque creature who kept the entire dimension under his thumb.

Later on, Longshot's story became a branch of the X-Men's corner of the Marvel Universe, allowing Mojo to, in turn, become a recurring villain of the X-Men. Since then, he's been utilized in various X-Men media, from video games to X-Men '97.

Given the level of worldbuilding that would be needed to adapt Mojo, it's not surprising that no X-Men movie has found room for him. With that in mind, a full movie or show set in the Mojoverse would be the best way to do justice to Mojo and Longshot's comic rivalry. That's something we can expect to see in the X-Men's introductory MCU outing, but it is something that could potentially happen in a sequel or spinoff.

Deathbird

Through movies like Captain Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Marvel Studios has done a lot to flesh out its cosmic side, introducing several of the alien races that populate the Marvel Universe. Arguably, the three that are the most impactful to the wider Marvel Universe are the Skrulls, the Kree, and the Shi'ar. Two of the three have been fully integrated into the MCU, but the Shi'ar have yet to appear.

That may be for the best, especially since their absence reserves the Shi'ar's best storylines for the MCU's X-Men movies. If and when they take the X-Men to space, they can pit Professor X's students against Deathbird, a mutant member of the Shi'ar race and a hated enemy of the X-Men. She also has a long-running rivalry with Captain Marvel, which could carry over to the MCU if Marvel intends to incorporate Rogue's huge Carol Danvers connection into her powerset.

Sauron

In Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU offered a brief preview of a prehistoric world identified by comic fans as none other than the Savage Land. Sadly, that scene is the closest the Marvel has come to exploring this classic, story-rich corner of the Marvel Universe. But just as it is with the Shi'ar, the lack of attention aimed at the Savage Land could become an advantage for the X-Men movies if Marvel chooses to make it the focal point of one of their films.

An X-Men movie being the vessel for the MCU's first real trip to the Savage Land would be a fitting move, considering that it was an X-Men comic that introduced it in the first place. The X-Men visited the dinosaur-filled region hidden in Antarctica in its comic debut in 1965's X-Men #10, where the team met its self-appointed protectors, Ka-Zar and Zabu.

The Savage Land gradually developed into a key battleground for several major X-Men battles, including ones that involved Sauron, a human scientist who transformed himself into a pterodactyl-like monster (ala The Lizard). As one of the X-Men's oldest enemies, Sauron would be an excellent villain choice for an X-Men movie set in the Savage Land.

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  Jean Grey

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  Rogue / Anna Marie

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  Scott Summers / Cyclops

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  Samara Weaving

  Emma Frost