8 X-Men Characters Who Need To Appear In The Next Movie

Across the eight X-Men films released over the past sixteen years (hands up, who now feels old?), we have seen many of the X-Men comics’ best heroes, villains and those somewhere in between translated to the big screen. Some to a great effect, and others… not so much. For instance, the likes of Emma Frost, Juggernaut and even Cyclops. Yet, at least they have made it to the movies, while other very worthwhile characters have never even got that chance. Thankfully, the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse will right this wrong for a couple of fan-favourites, as Jubilee and Psylocke will make their debuts in the film (all right, a character credited as Psylocke appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand, but she was such a minor role it hardly counts). The one we’re really excited for, though, is the big-screen arrival of Cable, who was teased at the end of Deadpool. Discounting those that are desperately in need of a reboot or recast, in this article we'll take a look at eight X-Men characters who have yet to make it onto the screen in any form but really need to. As always, feel free to leave your own choices in the comments section below. 8) Fantomex Fantomex is not a famous name to even a lot of hardcore X-Men fans, but he has the potential to be another beloved anti-hero for the franchise if they gave him the chance to be introduced to a wider audience. Created by Grant Morrison and based on cult Italian comic book character Diabolik, Fantomex is another creation of the Weapon X program, which is also responsible for more famous characters like Wolverine and Deadpool. Thanks to his powers of illusion and mental link with a sentient satellite (don’t ask), Fantomex - real name: Jean Phillipe - is a master of stealth and an expert marksman. His popularity was such that he even headed his own solo comic series in which he was a secret agent. He’s basically a mutant version of James Bond. You can’t say you wouldn’t want to see that, right? 7) Armor Having the hard task of following on from Grant Morrison’s acclaimed run on the X-Men comics was screenwriter extraordinaire Joss Whedon, who managed to steer the comic in a direction that is perhaps even more acclaimed by fans. Even so, he generally focussed on existing X-Men rather creating his own, but one of his creations does deserve a place on film. Japanese teenager Hisako Ichiki has the ability to generate a psionic forcefield around her body, protecting herself from harm as well as giving her super strength – hence the superhero name Armor. Armor has a very visual superpower that could look great on screen, so it is a no-brainer that she deserves a place in the next X-Men movie. Perhaps not even as a main character, just as a background member of the team who can show off their supercool abilities during action scenes. That’s all we’re asking for, Fox. Make it happen. 6) Dazzler Originally created as an embarrassing attempt by Marvel to cash in on the disco craze of the 70s, Dazzler has been cleverly updated over the years to the point that she is now seen as a legitimately great character. A mutant with the ability to convert sonic vibrations into light, Dazzler's reputation as an all-sining superhero might put people off, but there is a lot more to her than that. For one, she has far more comics history than a lot of the X-Men characters that have managed to make it to screen, so she deserves at least a cameo appearance in the movies. It was previously announced that Lady Gaga would be playing Dazzler in X-Men: Days of Future Past… before it was revealed to be an April Fools’ Day hoax. Nice one guys, but we hope this doesn’t mean that you see the character as a joke. 5) Lilandra Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has explored its cosmic side to great success with Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men franchise should do the same. If they did, the character that could embody this shift into sci-fi would be Lilandra. Forget his fling with Moira McTaggart, space queen Lilandra is Professor X’s greatest love – the pair share a lifelong psychic bond, don’t you know. They were even married until Charles mind-controlled her when he himself was possessed by his evil twin Cassandra Nova (again, don’t ask). Fans would love to see the space-based elements of the X-Men comics brought to the screen, so hopefully Fox take note of this in future – Lilandra’s romance with Charles proves that there is dramatic potential in it. She also played a part in the comics’ Phoenix Saga, which they really need to give another go on the big screen. 4) Magik Likewise, if the X-Men series wanted to follow in the MCU’s footsteps of exploring the mystical (as that franchise will in Doctor Strange), they should introduce Magik – a character who does exactly what she says on the tin. Now that Colossus is starting to get a larger role in the movies (he was a big presence in Deadpool, though we’ve still yet to really get to know the gentle giant on screen), it’s time for his little sister to get a chance at the limelight, too. Magik is a complex character, one who often finds herself overwhelmed by the sorcery she dabbles in. She even has her own version of the Dark Phoenix in the comics as she becomes a demonic version of herself called Darkchide. We think the perfect place for Magik would be in the touted New Mutants film, which is based on a group of teenage X-Men. Don't you agree? 3) Hope Summers All right, we have an ulterior motive here. While Hope Summers is an interesting character, she is tied into a specific storyline from the comics that we are dying to see realised on screen. The storyline? Avengers vs. X-Men! After Apocalypse, we would have had two trilogies (and a bunch of spinoffs) of X-Men films, so to keep the series fresh it makes sense to partner with Marvel and bring the two great superhero teams together. It is what many a fan would want and, after Sony made the deal to share Spider-Man with the MCU, there is more of a chance that it could happen. Come on, we can dream, can’t we? Hope, for her part, is a great character – destined to be the Mutant Messiah, she struggles with being responsible for the fate of her whole species, but she proves herself brave enough in the end. 2) Mr. Sinister One of the last of the great X-Men big bads yet to make it to screen after Apocalypse, Mr. Sinister really needs to be the major villain of whatever the next X-Men film is. A Victorian scientist obsessed with evolution, Sinister made a pact with Apocalypse to make himself immortal. By the time the X-Men are around, he is obsessed with experimenting on mutants and also has ties to the Summers and Grey families. In probably his most notorious storyline, Mutant Massacre, he uses his team of Marauders in an attempt to wipe out the Morlocks, visible-deformed mutants who have hidden themselves underground. The main reason for featuring him in the next movie is that a great actor has expressed interest in the part. At the 2015 New York Comic-Con, none other than Bryan Cranston said he would love to play Mr. Sinister. Seriously, someone's got to make that happen. 1) X-23 Everyone knows that Wolverine is the X-Men franchise’s most popular and successful character. So with Hugh Jackman only doing one more film, they really need to find someone to take up his mantle. Enter X-23, a character tailor made for the job. In a nutshell, she is a teenage female clone of Wolverine. Every bit as violent and troubled as Logan, X-23 is a relatively recent addition to the comics (she was created for the X-Men: Evolution animated series in 2003). Another product of the Weapon X program, she has all the usual Wolverine powers – super-strength, healing and of course adamantium claws. As it starts out on a new path for the franchise, X-23 would be a great new addition to the series’ line-up and potentially someone to base the movies around in Jackman’s absence. Last year, the comics saw the character take on her father’s costume and superhero name to become the new Wolverine. Are you listening, Fox?