Marvel Studios didn't regain the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four until 2019. That was the year Dark Phoenix came out and, thanks to delays caused by the pandemic, The New Mutants received its theatrical release the following year.

Rather than rush straight to rebooting the X-Men in the wake of those disasters, Marvel Studios has slowly teased the idea of characters like Ms. Marvel and Namor having the mutant gene. As for the Fantastic Four, when they debut this summer, it will be in another reality rather than as part of the Sacred Timeline.

While much has been said about a post-Avengers: Secret Wars "reboot," it's clear the groundwork is being laid for mutants to feel like an organic part of this world rather than them just magically appearing on Earth-616. That's evident from the introduction of Adamantium in Captain America: Brave New World.

Talking to Geek Culture,...