We know not to expect the actual X-Men team in the MCU for a while, but it’s possible that the first mutant in the franchise could appear as soon as next year’s Black Widow. Fans have been wondering when the fruits of the Disney/Fox merger would start to materialize in the Marvel universe, and this compelling theory from ScreenRant suggests that mutantkind will be introduced as soon as this coming May.
To begin with, it’s a fact that Oliver Richters, the world’s tallest bodybuilder, is set to play a role in the movie. Nicknamed “the Dutch Giant,” Richters – who stands at 7 ft 2 inches – revealed on Instagram back in August that he’d spent three weeks shooting on the Scarlett Johansson-starring picture in the UK. Obviously, he didn’t reveal the nature of his role, but there is one character from the comics who sticks out as a major contender.
Could Richters be portraying Ursa Major? In the source material, the Russian superhero is part of the Winter Guard, the same super-team that Red Guardian serves on. That character, of course, is to be brought to life by David Harbour in Black Widow. As well as this connection, Richter’s height and size would make him a perfect fit for a man whose powers allow him to turn into a gigantic, anthropomorphic bear.
Ursa Major can transform into his ursine form while still retaining his human mind and personality. He’s also known to be able to go toe-to-claw with the Hulk. The other notable thing about him though is that he’s a mutant. And given his ties to the Black Widow world rather than that of the X-Men, the character likely already had his rights shared by Marvel and Fox anyways, which is why he could be first out the door.
If Ursa Major is set to show up, his origins may be changed or at least left vague, but it does indeed sound like there’s a good chance that Black Widow will ever so slightly lay the groundwork for the coming of the X-Men in a few years.