It’s only been about three years since the last X-Men movie but already fans miss those merry band of mutants. Sure, the movies weren’t perfect, and some, like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: Apocalypse, were outright bad, but they still had a certain charm, an irresistible nostalgic pull that most people couldn’t resist. The Fox X-Men movies were the first true cinematic comic book universe, and they established a foundation that helped the MCU take over the world with 2008’s Iron Man.
Well, it appears the X-Men universe might be making another return trip to the MCU. After being teased last year in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, Marvel is strongly hinting that the X-Men will show up in The Marvels, the latest movie from the MCU blockbuster factory. The Twitter account MCU – The Direct pointed out in a recent trailer highlighting the movie that text appears onscreen with the words “What Comes Next.” All the letters fade out…except for the letter X. The music then briefly changes to a strong-heavy score that’s very reminiscent of John Ottman’s now-classic compositions for the first two X-Men movies.
Now this could be just a coincidence or a case of eagle-eyed fans willing to a non-existence Easter egg out of thin air. However, Marvel’s been leaning pretty heavily on the multiverse lately (to rapidly diminishing effect) and it’s clear they are itching to bring the X-Men into their universe and take the spotlight away from their lackluster lineup of heroes. (Seriously, is anyone excited for Black Panther 3 or Ant-Man 4?)
Additional evidence points to the very real possibility that the X-Men, or at least Fox’s version of the X-Men, will pop up somehow in The Marvels, despite the fact that it’s been pegged as a silly outer space comedy adventure with nothing to do with the multiverse. Sammon News on Twitter pointed out that in The Marvels Press Kit, John Ottman’s two scores for X2: X-Men United and X-Men: Days of Future Past are mentioned in the end credits. Hmm, that’s … odd.
Why on Earth would those scores be credited in The Marvels? Well, obviously because something X-related is going to happen that will necessitate those scores being used to conjure up that once-dead universe. And since we’ve already seen Professor Xavier getting his neck snapped by Wanda Maximoff and Kamala Khan being designated as a “mutant,” it’s clear that the X-Men are inching closer to a formal introduction into the MCU. It’s just a shame that it will be in The Marvels, which is tracking to be one of the MCU’s lowest-grossing movies ever. Ah well, there’s always Deadpool 3.
The Marvels is in theaters November 10.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.