The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be the first MCU property to introduce X-Men IP previously owned by Fox into the MCU. This looks as if it’s going to be a subtle process, but we’ve already seen a glimpse of the S.W.O.R.D. organization in set pics from WandaVision and now we know that another X-Universe element is going to be used in TFATWS: the country of Madripoor.
Eagle-eyed fans have spotted the country’s flag in set pictures from the series (see below) and as comic book readers will know, Madripoor’s a country located in the Marvel Universe’s Southeast Asia and debuted in the 1985 comic New Mutants #32, written by Chris Claremont. The island’s separated into Hightown and Lowtown and is intended to show off the divide between the rich and the poor. The country has popped up in many X-Men and Avengers stories over the years, but is primarily identified most with Wolverine.
His solo series saw him fighting crime on the island, which was collected in 2014 under the title Madripoor Nights. Here’s how it’s billed:
“He’s the best there is at what he does – but what he does isn’t very nice. And now, Wolverine has broken out of the X-Men and into his own solo series! Feeling the urge to cut loose, Wolverine travels to Madripoor – an East Indian island full of pirates, cutthroats and…just the way Logan likes it!”
Now, it should be pointed out that even though The Falcon and The Winter Soldier may visit Madripoor (or even just its embassy), that doesn’t mean there’s a chance of a surprise appearance by Wolverine in the show. The MCU’s take on Wolvie is sure to be one of their most scrutinized casting decisions in years, with Hugh Jackman indelibly associated with the role in audience’s minds. As such, I very much doubt they’d have him first appear in a TV show.
But what this does demonstrate is that the creative teams at Marvel Studios have been given permission to work with elements of the Fox IPs, and I’d bet they’re now consciously laying some groundwork for Wolverine and the rest of the mutants to appear in the MCU. Personally, I can’t wait to see how they do it – however it happens.
