7 X-Men Side Characters The Franchise Needs To Keep Using

Just like in the comics, the X-Men movies feature diverse casts of mutants, both good and bad, trying to make their way in a world that doesn't understand them. That said, some have been represented more prominently than others. Wolverine, of course, has essentially served as the lead in every film so far other than X-Men: First Class, while the "First Class" trilogy has also focused on Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, and Beast in their younger years. This leaves a lot of side characters who don’t get as much attention, but certain opportunities sometimes present themselves for these folks to nab more screen time.

Despite saying earlier this year that she won’t appear in Gambit, Anna Paquin recently admitted that she would be interested in reprising Rogue for a future movie. Let’s also not forget that Colossus will also play a big role next year in the Deadpool spinoff. With X-Men: Apocalypse and Wolverine 3 also on the way, the franchise is about to enter a new phase with movies like New Mutants and X-Force, but that doesn’t mean all the older characters should be tossed aside as new ones are introduced. Take a look at the supporting mutants we think should be kept around for the foreseeable future.

Kitty Pryde

After cameo appearances in X-Men and X2: X-Men United, Kitty Pryde, played by Ellen Page, was finally given a meaningful role in X-Men: The Last Stand. The actress reprised the role last year in X-Men: Days of Future Past, but unlike the original story, it was Wolverine who went to the past rather than her, though her phasing powers were needed to send his mind back in time. The fact is that Kitty has yet to really shine in the X-Men universe, but if Page is up to return, there are still opportunities for her use her in a key way. Assuming the main X-Men films eventually return to the present day, she wouldn’t be a student at Xavier’s school anymore, but in the revised timeline, she was seen teaching, so that would make her a prime candidate for a mentorship role in a story like New Mutants.