The MCU Can Fix An Original X-Men Power That Even Stan Lee Admitted Didn’t Make Sense

The MCU‘s X-Men movies and shows offer the chance to make some tweaks to certain mutant powers, especially those that raise questions about their practicality. With Fox’s X-Men franchise now concluded and the MCU’s first X-Men movie officially in the works, Marvel’s mutant characters are gearing up to star in a brand new live-action adaptation with no ties to Fox’s previous 13 X-Men movies. The MCU’s X-Men projects will likely make up the slate for the next saga, which begins once Avengers: Secret Wars concludes the Multiverse Saga.

The MCU’s new take on the X-Men provides the chance to fix many of the mistakes and inaccuracies that Fox’s X-Men franchise made throughout the years. More detailed and faithful character costumes, relationships, mutant abilities, and storyline adaptations are to be expected within the MCU, and characters who either didn’t get much screen time or received inaccurate adaptations may now be a priority for Marvel Studios. One mutant in particular had a very small role in the X-Men movies, which barely showed him using his magnificent yet impractical powers.

Angel’s Powers May Need An Upgraded MCU Explanation

The MCU May Have To Make Angel More Unrealistic Than Usual

Warren Worthington III has one of the most straightforward mutations in Marvel Comics. Whereas other mutants possess the ability to completely shapeshift their bodies or manipulate space-time, Angel simply has a pair of wings on his back. Immediately following his introduction as one of the X-Men’s founding members in 1963, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had to explain that Angel’s bones are hollow, otherwise his wings would be useless. Even though there isn’t much to his powers beyond the wings,Angel’s mutation is realistic enough to seem possible, but not enough to warrant the audience’s full suspension of disbelief.

Mutations like Beast’s animal-like physiology and Wolverine’s claws are easy to explain using fictional solutions to the real-life issues they could pose, like the shape of the former’s hands and legs and where exactly the latter’s claws rest when not engaged. Mutations like Jean Grey’s telekinesis and Storm’s weather control are so unrealistic that they’re easy to identify as pure sci-fi. On the other hand, Angel’s wings draw inspiration from real birds but still make little sense within the Marvel universe, as Angel shouldn’t be able to use them to fly without other anatomical enhancements like hollow bones, a tail, and possibly no arms altogether.

MCU’s Power Upgrades Hint It Will Address X-Men Power Issues

The MCU’s Angel Might Also Receive A Superpower Overhaul That Makes His Mutation More Exciting

Most mutant characters usually overshadow Angel. However, that doesn’t have to be the case in the MCU. The MCU could avoid verisimilitude questions and make Angel a more interesting hero by doubling down on his unrealistic nature. Instead of the original “regular man with wings” concept from early X-Men comics and X-Men: The Last Stand, the MCU’s Angel could possess the super strength, super speed, super adaptability, healing factor, and enhanced senses that later comic book versions of the character developed. The MCU could also present Angel’s feathers as ultra-sharp projectiles even before his transformation into Apocalypse’s Horseman, Archangel.

The MCU has already made major changes to certain characters’ superpowers in the past. For instance, Ms. Marvel’s emblematic super-stretching abilities were replaced by energy constructs powered by the Noor dimension, making her stand apart from Mister Fantastic. Simlarly, Maya Lopez’ photographic reflexes have been complemented by ancestral communiaction, and Shang-Chi’s martial arts mastery has been complemented by the Ten Rings’ mystical power. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a mutant like Angel to receive one or more power upgrades whenever he makes his MCU debut.

What The MCU Can Learn From How Angel’s Powers Appeared In Fox’s X-Men Movies

Angel’s Wings Can Be The Source Of Visceral Moments In The MCU’s X-Men Movies And Shows

X-Men: The Last Stand introduced Angel roughly as he appeared in 1963’s X-Men #1 — simply as a human-looking mutant with massive white wings protruding from his back. Years later, X-Men: Apocalypse featured Angel’s transformation into Archangel by Apocalypse, who turned Warren’s feathered wings into metal contraptions. Yet, neither version of the character played a significant role in their respective movies. Angel’s wings provide enough material for many more exciting action scenes than past X-Men films, especially if Warren’s mutation is upgraded with the help of other secondary powers like super strength and super speed.

One commendable aspect of Angel’s small role in X-Men: The Last Stand is his own subplot, which centered around Warren coming to accept his wings after years of insecurities derived from his father’s prejudices. The scene where a young Warren locks himself in a bathroom and desperately cuts his wings in order to hide his mutant nature from his father might be among the most heartbreaking moments in Fox’s X-Men franchise. If the MCU spends more time developing its version of Angel, these are the kind of moments the hero needs within the MCU’s X-Men projects.