They're Not X-Men, But The MCU's 2028 Reboot Could Finally Set Up These 6 Missing Heroes

Published Oct 22, 2026, 2:30 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. 2028's X-Men movie will effectively launch a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in that it will lay the groundwork for legions of unexplored characters to get their due on the big screen. It's a move that will open a lot of doors, including some for characters who aren't even X-Men. Soon, the MCU will have its own version of Marvel's Merry Mutants, rather than one that was essentially borrowed from the library of characters introduced in Fox's X-Men movies. Spider-Man: Brand New Day provided a preview of what's to come when it brought Sadie Sink's Jean Grey into the fold, and now several new mutant heroes are expected to follow her to make up the MCU's first generation of X-Men. Of those confirmed to show up are Professor Xavier, Cyclops, Angel, Rogue, and Storm. Don't be surprised if Beast and Iceman are on hand too. And while dozens of X-Men will obviously have to miss out on the reboot, the stage will be set for them to show up eventually. So even if the likes of Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler aren't reintroduced with them, there will be an expectation for them to appear later. These iconic characters only scratch the surface of what 2028's X-Men has the potential to do for the Marvel Universe. The X-Men's adventures expanded the Marvel Universe in so many ways that go beyond its own roster and its various spinoff teams, and now that same approach can be applied to the MCU. 6 Captain Britain For years, there's been considerable speculation as to when and how Marvel Studios will get around to bringing the UK's top superhero into its world. To this day, the answer to that question remains unclear, but the possible introduction of one particular X-Men member would most certainly create a path for him. Captain Britain is the brother of Betsy Braddock, the fan-favorite X-Men character better known as Psylocke. In Marvel Comics, Betsy Braddock evolved from a supporting character in Captain Britain's adventures to a costumed superhero and a major figure in X-Men lore. It's possible that for the MCU, Marvel will reverse that strategy; if Psylocke becomes a roster addition in an X-Men sequel, discussions of her family could easily establish the existence of Brian Braddock. 5 Corsair Arguably the second most prominent cosmic superhero team in Marvel Comics after the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Starjammers are a group of misfit space pirates. Their leader is Corsair, a sword-wielding warrior and former gladiator. Shortly after his debut in X-Men comics, it was confirmed that Corsair was Cyclops' father, a man who was previously presumed to be dead. Apparently, aliens called the Shi'ar crashed a plane occupied by the Summers family, allowing them to abduct Cyclops' mother and father. Following the big reveal concerning Corsair's true identity, Corsair and his team became frequent allies of the X-Men, but they also enjoyed several of their own adventures, not to mention team-ups with other characters, like the Avengers. The wealth of storytelling attached to Corsair and the Starjammers gives Marvel plenty to work with, especially if it ever intends to replace the Guardians of the Galaxy. And a chance to start heading in that direction will come very soon, as the 2028 X-Men is sure to - at the very least - touch on Cyclops' backstory. When that happens, it can deliver a comic accurate take on Scott Summers' childhood tragedy to set up Corsair. 4 Vance Astro In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, James Gunn formally introduced many of the core members of the original Guardians of the Galaxy team. Noticeably missing was Vance Astro, a time-displaced mutant human who became the owner of Captain America's shield in an alternate future. The decision not to include him could have been a blessing in disguise, as it means the character's story can receive a proper adaptation in a later MCU film or TV show. Vance Astro was never an X-Man, but Marvel Comics is slated to have his present-day, mainstream counterpart, Justice, join the X-Men in Maximum X-Men #1 in December 2026. Up until recently, there was arguably no room for Vance Astro. Gunn understandably wanted Star-Lord to be the only human hero in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and as a mutant, Marvel would have had to change the origin of his psionic powers. Since he was avoided, Marvel can now use Vance Astro to further develop the cosmic corner of the MCU. Thanks to his mutant heritage, he would be a great, thematic fit, considering that the MCU's next chapter is being unofficially described as "The Mutant Saga." 3 Gladiator A long list of X-Men characters and stories, such as the Dark Phoenix Saga, are rooted in outer space, which is one reason why the MCU is expected to continue fleshing out that side of its world. And a large portion of those cosmic connections relate directly to one alien race, namely the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar are longtime enemies of the X-Men and are also at the heart of the Dark Phoenix Saga. If Marvel explores the Shi'ar, it makes sense that one of the characters such a storyline would introduce would be Gladiator, their loyal champion. Depicted as one of the strongest beings in the Marvel Universe, Gladiator has gone toe-to-toe with numerous Marvel heavyweights, from The Hulk to Thor. Because the Shi'ar normally serve as villains, Gladiator has often acted in an antagonistic capacity, but later stories have demonstrated that he has heroic potential too. As long as his actions are in his people's best interests, Gladiator has no problem fighting beside Earth's heroes. 2 Dragon Man Introduced in the pages of Fantastic Four before going on to become a major guest star in several Marvel Comics titles, Dragon Man is an incredibly powerful, gargoyle-like android created by the supervillain known as Diablo. Diablo frequently took advantage of Dragon Man's child-like intellect to use him as a weapon to commit all sorts of crimes. However, there were many instances where heroes like the Fantastic Four were able to keep Dragon Man on their side, even if only briefly. In the mid-2000s, Marvel used a retcon to reveal that Dragon Man served as an ally of the original X-Men team, allowing him to form a strong attachment to Jean Grey while living in X-Mansion and accompanying them on missions. Since the relationship between the X-Men and Dragon Man was key to the first chapter of their story, it's not impossible that Marvel incorporates him into their journey and particularly Jean Grey's arc as her "pet." Interestingly, the MCU has already taken a step toward Dragon Man's formal introduction. Fantastic Four: The First Steps name-dropped Diablo as an adversary to the team, confirming his existence on Earth-828. And the movie's credits sequence, which seemed to be based on the movie's in-universe animated series, featured Dragon Man directly, indicating that he exists as an ally to Diablo, and with his comic-accurate design to boot. 1 Ka-Zar Often percieved as Marvel's Tarzan, Ka-Zar is Kevin Plunder, a son of British socialities who wound up stranded as a child in the Savage Land, a place in Antarctica occupied by dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. Joined by his sabertooth tiger companion named Zabu, Ka-Zar has become the self-appointed protector of the Savage Land, thus putting him in prime position to fill major roles in Marvel Comics storylines set there. Aside from a brief Easter egg in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU has done nothing to make use of this vibrant and story-rich corner of the Marvel Universe. Perhaps that will change when the MCU's X-Men franchise kicks into high gear, considering it was the adventures of the original X-Men team that introduced readers to Ka-Zar and the Savage Land. What's more, the Savage Land is linked to a handful of their villains, including Sauron, Magneto, and Zaladane.