While I’m seriously excited about the MCU‘s adamantium debut, the way the franchise has introduced the material to the movie world has me worried it’ll undermine or waste another storyline that’s been steadily built up over several years. Much like the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s X-Men have been essentially missing from the main MCU timeline for a wide range of reasons. However, things have very much changed since then, with the story of The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to bring Marvel’s First Family into the main universe, and the impending arrival of the mutant team also having been set up.
One of the biggest and most recent ways the MCU has helped set up for the group and a potential MCU X-Men movie is via introducing adamantium to its world – a crucial metal alloy from the comics that is involved in the stories of Wolverine, Sabretooth, X-23, Lady Deathstrike, and many other Marvel characters. Though this brings the prospect of these figures debuting in Earth-616 ever closer to becoming reality in upcoming MCU releases, the manner in which adamantium has been explored thus far has also made me cautious, due to just how close it is to one prominent MCU storyline.
The MCU’s Adamantium Introduction Is Already Set Up To Be Huge For The Franchise
Captain America: Brave New World‘s introduction of adamantium into the MCU helps to reinforce the tensions of the film’s story. With the world’s powers in discussions over what to do with the adamantium that the transformed and ᴅᴇᴀᴅ body of the Celestial poking out of the Earth has been revealed to be made of, Thaddeus Ross’ presidential tenure becomes far more complicated, especially when The Leader uses these tensions to pit the US against Japan, who are unaware of the villain’s machinations and believe to instead be seeing signs that America is acting to try and gain control of the resource.
While this has set up an interesting short-term for the MCU’s adamantium story, it is of course the wider implications of bringing the metal officially into the franchise that have proved most exciting for audiences. Adamantium is primarily ᴀssociated with the origin story of Wolverine – whose bones were famously coated in adamantium to enhance his fighting capabilities – but Logan is by no means the only character whose story is tied to the substance, even though this introduction coming while we can see the MCU X-Men appearing to be set up makes it all the more exciting.
Outside of the opportunities for new characters, there’s also many major story opportunities raised by this. This is both in terms of exploring how the world reacts to discovering adamantium – especially since it’s already been shown to be the topic of some considerable geopolitical tension – and also in terms of potentially adapting major parts of the comics that are tied to adamantium, such as the creation of different types of it, or moments like Magneto ripping the adamantium from Wolverine’s body.
The MCU’s Adamantium Story Is Looking To Be Very Similar To Its Vibranium Story
The MCU’s adamantium introduction and the approach the franchise is taking with the material bodes well for it appearing in future storylines. As far as we know, the Celestial’s adamantium body is still the subject of some significant global debate and negotiations. This is something that President Ross’ transformation into the Red Hulk is likely to have complicated, but ultimately probably only extended time-wise, as it seems Ross fully came clean about everything in his court case, which would thus mean any concerned countries are aware The Leader was at fault for any recent odd actions by US figures.
However, the way Captain America: Brave New World sets up the franchise’s adamantium story is notable in that it bares striking similarities to how the MCU has handled its vibranium story thus far. Having been introduced far earlier in the MCU’s timeline – so it could be used as part of the stories behind things like Captain America’s shield and Bucky Barnes’ mechanical arm – vibranium has also been core parts of the likes of Ultron and Vision’s origin stories, and conflict over the substance has also served as a key part of the franchise’s overarching storyline.
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reinforcing the idea of the conflict over vibranium still being ongoing – and a core part of the overall story of Wakanda – the fact adamantium and vibranium have such similar current stories in the franchise presents a prospective problem, since keeping both on the same tracks as an MCU focus seems to risk the stories they show up in feeling repeтιтive due to their parallels. With the X-Men still seemingly some time away on the MCU horizon, it appears they can’t yet be used to make adamantium stand apart, making this matter more complex.
Marvel May Have To Let Adamantium Overshadow Vibranium For At Least The Immediate Future
As it currently stands, adamantium seems set to be the focus of any of the MCU’s more politically-focused stories. With adamantium being both the newer material the MCU has introduced into the world and one that ties in well to the impending arrival of the X-Men and other figures ᴀssociated with the alloy, the fact that its current storyline is so close to the one primarily used to explore the MCU’s vibranium suggests the latter metal may have to take the backburner for the time being.
Otherwise, the franchise would risk wasting a crucial and powerful part of its comic lore, and a major foothold that could be used to bring a roster of characters and their stories into the spotlight. While this suggests the MCU may end up totally ditching any vibranium focus in lieu of its newer and more exciting successor of sorts, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the way things go so long as things are handled in a thought-out way, even if vibranium may have to take a backseat it otherwise wouldn’t have had to.
With Kevin Feige stating that “everything post-ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine will be the mutant era coming into the MCU“, at a 2024 ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine press conference, it stands to reason leaning into the adamantium storyline would make sense now more than ever due to its ties to several major mutant characters.
Indeed, intentionally having adamantium be the new focus of the world’s weapons rush could be interesting to explore in-universe later down the line in this regard, as it could either mean foreign parties reduce their efforts to obtain vibranium from Wakanda, or double their efforts if they’re unable to get their hands on adamantium and wish to reinforce themselves with the other hyper-powerful material. As such, if adamantium does end up taking focus from vibranium, it can hopefully at least be in a way that doesn’t waste the MCU‘s over a decade-long build-up story-wise, and instead uses it to its advantage.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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