The MCU Already Solved Magneto’s Backstory Problem 1 Year Ago

Marvel Studios’ introduction of the mutant Magneto in the MCU poses a significant timeline problem, but this issue may have already been resolved thanks to one Phase 4 project. Following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, Marvel Studios has the opportunity to bring mutants and the much-anticipated X-Men into the MCU. While this process has, so far, been rather slow, with only Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Namor being revealed as mutants in the MCU’s main continuity, Marvel Studios is expected to be bringing a slew of new mutants into the MCU very soon, especially after the events of 2024’s multiversal adventure, Deadpool 3.

Since Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige’s 2019 tease that mutants would be coming to the MCU, there has been speculation as to how this vibrant new species will be introduced into the pre-established franchise. Marvel Studios will introduce iconic mutants into the present-day MCU, but this poses an issue concerning these characters’ intricate backstories, many of which are tied to real-world historical events. Erik Lehnsherr’s Magneto is the perfect example, as his childhood of suffering during the Holocaust informs his motivations for his entire life, and while there have been worries that this backstory will be changed for the MCU, Marvel Studios already revealed how it can be retained.

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Namor’s Mutation Gives Him An Elongated Lifespan

Namor made his first appearance in print in 1939’s Marvel Comics #1, making him one of the oldest and longest-running superheroes. This made his MCU introduction in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever more exciting, particularly since his background as a mutant was included. Tenoch Huerta’s Namor was born in 1571, yet is still depicted as a young man in the MCU’s present day, which is directly attributed to his mutation gifting him an elongated lifespan. Namor’s mutation also gifts the Talokanil King the ability to breathe oxygen and wings on his ankles, but it’s his long life that could prove pivotal to explaining other mutants’ backstories in the MCU’s future.

Magneto & Other Mutants Could Age Slower In The MCU

While it’s possible that Namor could be a special case in the MCU, with his mutation giving him, and only him, an elongated lifespan, Marvel Studios could explain that any mutant existing in the live-action franchise ages slower than the average human. This could be crucial to the introduction of Magneto and other mutants whose backstories are connected directly to real-world events, as it means they could have been living in the MCU for potentially centuries, while still being depicted as young heroes in the MCU’s present day. For Magneto, this means that his important and emotional backstory as a prisoner during the Holocaust can be retained.

Magneto’s childhood experiences during the Holocaust informed his lifelong outlook on humanity and mutantkind, as he fought to ensure that those atrocities would never happen again. While Professor X dreams of a world where humans and mutants live side-by-side peacefully, Magneto had seen the destruction humanity could cause, so is willing to use deadly force to protect his fellow mutants. Magneto’s backstory is a key element in his character development, and a significant moment in human history that needs to be sensitively represented in the MCU. Changing Magneto’s backstory would be an insult, so explaining that Magneto’s mutation gives him an elongated lifespan could help to solve this issue completely.

The Multiverse Could Also Solve Magneto’s Backstory Problem

Another theory regarding the MCU’s mutant introduction suggests that Marvel Studios will bring mutants and the X-Men into the MCU by using the multiverse. The MCU is now halfway through the Multiverse Saga, and many new mutants are expected to debut before 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars brings this chapter of the MCU to a close. While it’s expected that most of these will be previously-seen characters from Fox’s X-Men Universe, including Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Deadpool 3, it’s also possible that the multiverse will be used to bring never-before-seen mutants and new versions of these characters into the MCU.

This means that versions of the X-Men and their villains, including Magneto, could make their way into the MCU from an alternate timeline that is perhaps set in the past. This would bear similarities to 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: First Class in 2011, which explored the formation of the original X-Men team in 1963. It’s possible that versions of these characters could become the MCU’s official X-Men, which would mean that Magneto could keep his traumatic backstory, which also being depicted as a younger man, setting up a huge future for the legendary Marvel Comics villain in his new live-action franchise.