A recent casting addition to Marvel’s X-Men reboot reveals the perfect replacement for Iron Man in one key way. Gradually, Marvel Studios has built a stellar cast for its first X-Men film, and one that seems driven largely by the original comic run. So far, three members from Professor Charles Xavier’s first class of mutants are slated to appear in the upcoming movie.
Following her MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Sadie Sink will reprise her role as Jean Grey in the reboot. She’ll be joined by Kit Connor, who will portray Cyclops. There’s no official word on the involvement of Beast and Iceman, but it is known that Angel a.k.a. Warren Worthington III will be on hand. The classic X-Men hero will be played by Asa Germann.
With Angel being an original X-Men member, his inclusion in the film wouldn’t be noteworthy if it weren’t for the level of representation of he’s had over the years (or lack thereof). The original Angel has never been on the X-Men team in a movie, meaning the reboot is poised to do more for him than any other movie has done in the past. And based on what’s known about the character in the source material, there’s a great deal of potential there in terms of the impact he could have on the MCU going forward.
Like Iron Man, Angel Bankrolled His Team In Marvel Comics
His trademark wings weren’t the only aspect of Angel’s identity that set him apart from his contemporaries in the early X-Men comics. Another key element of his character and his arc as a whole was his immense wealth. Warren Worthington III hails from an extremely rich family. His grandfather, Warren Worthington, founded a widely profitable company called Worthington Industries. Eventually, control of the company and its assets was handed to Angel.
As a multimillionaire, Angel was able to live comfortably, but he didn’t just use his wealth for the sake of living a luxurious lifestyle. Rather, the character has a long history of using his money, resources, and business connections to support his superhero career. In doing so, Angel was able to prop up not only himself, but also the various heroes he surrounded himself with.
To that point, Angel’s money played a big role in why he was on the X-Men team in the first place. Professor Xavier knew when he recruited him how helpful his inheritance could be, and his efforts paid off immensely. Thanks to Angel, they had the money to pay for all sorts of vital equipment. In that sense, he was very much the equivalent of Tony Stark to the Avengers. Either wouldn’t have been able to operate properly without a wealthy benefactor footing their bills.
Angel’s Wealth May Explain What His Role In The X-Men Movie Could Be
Angel’s comic history sheds light on where he might fit into the bigger picture for the MCU’s first X-Men team. Assuming he shares his comic book counterpart’s backstory, it stands to reason that the MCU’s take on Angel will take a similar role, using his wealth to fund their superhero activities. After all, several facets of the X-Men comics wouldn’t work without someone with his resources.
A traditional interpretation of the group would call for the team’s headquarters to come equipped with the Danger Room (for the purpose of training the students), and the Blackbird, which is effectively the X-Men’s answer to the Avengers’ Quinjet. They conduct operations all over the world, and in space when needed. Marvel may not take the X-Men off-world right away, but it makes sense that whatever they’ll be up to, great financial backing will be required.
As the owner of a sizable mansion, Professor Xavier could, of course, fill this role on his own, but if Marvel honors the source material, his own finances won’t be enough. Going in that direction will help ensure that putting together an X-Men team isn’t simply about finding allies, but a much greater challenge that also involves finding the means to sustain it, and Angel’s support could very well be the solution to that problem.
If that’s the case, Angel’s importance to the movie may be similar in some respect to the role Iron Man held in the Avengers movies. Captain America and the rest had him to thank for their headquarters, equipment, and so much more.
Angel Can Become One Of The MCU’s Most Important Heroes
Angel has the potential to fill a void that was left when Iron Man exited the MCU in Avengers: Endgame. As Stark appropriately put it in Avengers: Age of Ultron, “I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler.” Essentially, Tony Stark was the MCU’s resident billionaire, someone anyone within the Avengers could count on for new weapons, gear, a costume redesign, or even a place to stay. He’s been absent for years, but no one has really shouldered that responsibility in his place.
Based on his comic book history, the MCU’s Angel could go even further than that. When looking at where his story may lead, it’s important to note that he had quite the blueprint in the 1970s and 1980s, with stints on several superhero teams.
Alongside Iceman, Angel checked the mutant box on the Champions, a West Coast-based team presented as somewhat of a band of misfit superheroes, in that it was composed of characters from various corners of the Marvel Universe. Led by Black Widow, the Champions operated out of a skyscraper and traveled via a decommissioned Avengers quinjet, all of which was paid for by Angel.
Years later, Angel and Iceman found themselves a new team when their former X-Men teammate, Beast, opted to rebuild the Defenders. Rebranded as the New Defenders, the group used Angel’s Colorado mansion as their headquarters. And when the original X-Men lineup reunited in the ’80s to form X-Factor, once again, Angel was the one bankrolling everything.
Much of what Angel did outside and within the X-Men’s ranks stemmed from the sense of fulfillment he gained from being a superhero. He enjoyed what he did, whether it was as an X-Man, a New Defender, a Champion, or something else entirely. If Marvel Studios is true to the spirit of Warren Worthington III in the X-Men reboot, there’s no limit to the impact he could have on the superhero careers of so many characters in the MCU’s future.
- Release Date
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May 5, 2028
- Director
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Jake Schreier
- Writers
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Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin, Michael Lesslie