The most anticipated future addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that of the X-Men and the widespread implementation of mutants. Of course, this will likely come after the upcoming events of certain movies, namely the multiversal film Avengers: Secret Wars. Afterward, Marvel movie fans may have to be introduced to a new take on Wolverine, but there's another sharp mutant who should also get her time to shine in the likely rebooted continuity of movies.
Marrow was once one of the most prominent X-Men, at least in terms of her push by Marvel. Appearing in various comics and even a popular video game, Marrow seemed primed for long-term popularity in the brand. Sadly, this wasn't the case, though she could finally be put back into prominence in the upcoming MCU X-Men movies.
Marrow Was a Major X-Men Character - Until She Wasn’t
The Bony Mutant Was Once Part of a Major Push
Debuting in 1995's Cable #15 by Jeph Loeb and David Brewer, Marrow was a rather tragic young mutant whose real name was Sarah. One of the Morlocks, she and her tribe lived in sewers underneath New York City to escape the persecution they received at the hands of humans. This was due to the fact that, unlike luckier mutants such as the X-Men, the Morlocks were physically unable to hide their mutations, as these many times manifested in deformities and other elements that marked their genetic status. Such was the case with Sarah, aka Marrow, who -- as her name suggested -- had the power to project bones from her skin.
These bony protrusions could be used as weapons or armor, and their sharpness made them similar to Wolverine's claw, which also started out as bone before being bonded to adamantium. Unfortunately, these sometimes gave her a fairly inhuman appearance, and it marked her as one of the "ugly mutants." The insecurity over her appearance and her increasingly ruthless personality (having been honed by her harsh upbringing) made Marrow a fairly dark and sarcastic mutant, not to mention a tragic one. In a way, she was a combination of characters such as Rogue, Nightcrawler and Wolverine, and the fact that she was actually a mutant terrorist upon her introduction gave her an extra edge.
Given that Marrow debuted in the 1990s (which was known for its grim and gritty tropes), her popularity made a lot of sense. Thus, Marrow soon appeared in various X-Men comic books, even becoming a major part of the team and showing up in the "Operation: Zero Tolerance" crossover storyline. Other major roles included a team-up comic with the veritable Marvel mascot Spider-Man and a playable appearance in the fighting game crossover Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. It all felt like the red carpet was being rolled out for her, but it was just as quickly rolled back up.
By the early 2000s, Marrow was no longer relevant in the X-Men property, and Grant Morrison's New X-Men series cemented that the brand was moving away from her and her former compatriots such as Cecilia Reyes. Since then, she's only really been brought back sporadically, with many of these storylines simply there to add to her saddening tales of woe. Even the recent Krakoa Age, with its seemingly happy ending for mutants, didn't do much for her. Given that the mutant island was a safe haven for her and similar mutants, this should have seen Marrow given new developments and directions.
Unfortunately, she still isn't a big part of the franchise, and this can possibly be traced back to her role in the 1990s. There, the push for Marrow was seen as somewhat forced, especially given how quickly she was made into a sort of new face for the X-Men. She was also fairly abrasive and lacked some of the more nuanced charm of true fan-favorite characters. When she simply stopped showing up, few fans made note of this or requested to see her back. Nevertheless, Marrow remains a major missed opportunity for the franchise, though the MCU could finally fix this.
How Marrow Can Bring a New Dimension to X-Men Movies
The Mutant Is Perfect for the MCU
Once the Marvel Cinematic Universe starts rolling out its own set of X-Men movies, it's highly likely that a new set of characters who haven't been focused upon in the past will be the focus. This could see the main X-Men team feature mutants from various eras and walks of life. If that's the case, this gives the perfect opportunity to bring Marrow in. Marrow can be a different sort of X-Men movie character, as she can represent the persecuted and downtrodden lives that members of the Morlocks live. Contrasting her with the more privileged lives of those used to living in Charles Xavier's mansion, she would prove the need for the X-Men due to the traumatic life she's experienced. At the same time, her brusque nature could differentiate her from past "point of view" characters.
In the comics, the cartoons and the movies, heroines such as Rogue, Shadowcat and Jubilee have been youthful audience inserts among the X-Men. In each case, there was a sort of almost waifish vulnerability to them all, with Rogue being deeply scared of her own powers as both Jubilee and Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde displayed wide-eyed intrigue and moments of being overwhelmed through their new life as teen mutants. They all had normal lives beforehand, which is what makes their time with the X-Men stand out. In the case of Marrow in the comics, however, she never had a normal upbringing and always had to fight for survival, which made her more hard-edged than even veteran X-Men.
These traits could be adapted to make Marrow more standoffish than these past characters, giving her a sort of cynicism that would still, in its own way, be youthful. This could also be a great way to show why some mutants, namely younger and impressionable ones, might be swayed to the side of terrorism by groups such as Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants. Most importantly, Marrow's physical appearance would be a jarring difference between her and someone like Rogue, while still touching upon similar themes. She could be shown as fearing that she'll one day lose control of her mutations and truly become a "freak," with even her smaller bone protrusions being a constant reminder of this potential inevitability.
Marrow's sarcasm and almost animalistic behavior would be a way to keep people at arm's length due to her own concerns about rejection. These elements would make Marrow a very strong character to follow on the big screen, as she's the crux of the mutant concept rolled into one character. Best of all, she hasn't had any role in previous movies besides a cameo in the first Deadpool film, so she would offer something new that refrains from simply putting the same cast of mutants on film. In fact, she's rarely adapted at all beyond the comic books, with her role once "taken" by Storm's cartoon-exclusive mutant nephew Spyke in the animated series X-Men: Evolution. This lack of prominence could be especially important due to one hero who's almost certain to receive a controversial recast in the near future.
How Marrow Can Fix This X-Men Movie Issue
Marrow Can Take Wolverine's Place Without Replacing Him
One of the best elements in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine was the return of Hugh Jackman's version of Logan. Jackman's role in the Fox X-Men movies made the character even bigger than he already was. A big part of this may have been how much more conventionally attractive Hugh Jackman is compared to the scruffy, short Wolverine in the comics. This resulted in Wolverine appearing in almost all of the Fox X-Men films, regardless of his relevance to the overall plot. Of course, this was also something of a problem, especially for fans of other mutants.
Previous X-Men movies focused too much on Wolverine, furthering a problem that was already seen in the comics. Now, Jackman has returned to the role, but this may very well end again after what's almost a guaranteed appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars. Afterward, Wolverine may be rebooted and recast, potentially giving fans a more comic book-accurate incarnation. This new Wolverine will have some big shoes to fill, but the key to making this work would be to not overuse him like the Hugh Jackman version. That can be ensured somewhat by the presence of Marrow, who occupies a similar role. Marrow and Wolverine are similar in more ways than just their powers, with their characterizations also being somewhat close.
Said abilities are alike in that Marrow's bones are similar to Wolverine's claws, and they both have incredible healing factors to account for these powers. Likewise, they're both gruff, sarcastic and cynical mutants who don't quite fit into the prim and proper world of the other X-Men. Another big parallel is that they have tragic backstories, further displaying the sorts of tumultuous events that mutants go through.
Marrow can serve a similar role to the MCU version of Wolverine while she's on the X-Men team, making way for Wolverine to have his own solo adventures before joining the group. This is the best way to keep from overdoing it with Wolverine again, all while putting a now forgotten mutant back in the limelight. While she's unlikely to gain the same level of prominence as Wolverine has had for decades at this point, Marrow might finally make good on all of her potential from the late 1990s.
