I mentioned earlier in the week that Disney bought Fox, and it’s a pretty big deal. In fact, if you’re a fan of Marvel comics or the MCU it’s a huge deal. One of the biggest slights against Marvel and the MCU is the fact that they didn’t have the rights to all of their characters. Before Marvel Studios existed Marvel sold the rights to a number of their characters to other studios so films could be made. That’s why the X-Men have been with Fox and Spider-Man has been with Sony. Once Marvel Studios blew up it became a little disheartening knowing that some of the companies major players couldn’t interact with these characters.

Over time things have sort of thawed out. Marvel was able to strike a last-minute deal with Sony, helped by the bombing of Amazing Spider-Man 2, to bring Spidey to the MCU. That’s lead to his show-stealing appearance in Captain America Civil War and a solo film that might be the quintessential Spider-Man movie.

As a fan, it was exciting to see Marvel playing well with others. The very idea that Spider-Man wasn’t a part of the MCU was ludicrous (which I spelled like the rapper on my first attempt. I’m not proud of this). Some would argue, myself included, that he’s the companies most iconic character, and having him making movies in a separate universe was all types of lame. One of the few things that the DCEU has going for it is the fact that the company has the rights to all of its characters. Too bad they couldn’t make a decent film (outside of Wonder Woman that is).

Everything kind of changes with Disney buying Fox though. Suddenly Marvel and the MCU have the biggest toy box in the world to play with. Characters who have been long missing suddenly have a new home within the MCU, and as you would expect, most fanboys have lost their face over the prospect. A number of major characters are heading home and it’s exciting, although, I would argue it was the absence of some of these characters that has lead to the success/emergence of groups like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant Man. Characters who might have otherwise been lost in the shadows of some of Marvel’s more “classic” characters.

Sooooooo, what characters did Marvel actually get their hands on? Who can we expect to be showing up in the MCU sometime around Phase 4? Well, here is a list of some of the heavy hitters who could possibly be sharing the screen with Tony Stark, Captain America, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

1. The X-Men- Maybe this means we can finally start to move beyond the whole Inhumans push. It has long been believed that Marvel has kind of buried the X-Men ever since the uber-success of Marvel Studios. Why make the books awesome if you couldn’t make movies about them? There has most definitely been an X-Men resurgence in the comics as of late and with the purchase, there is a lot to be excited about. How the MCU chooses to bring the X-Men in is yet to be seen, as is who the cast will be, but hopefully this can lead to an X-Men timeline that isn’t so damn confusing. Can you guys say X-Men vs Avengers storyline? Or maybe even House of M?

2. Deadpool– And Disney has already said they’re going to stay with the R ratings. Can we please, please get a Deadpool/Spider-Man movie moment. Please. I don’t ask for much. I really don’t.

3. The Fantastic Four- We have yet to get a good Fantastic Four movie and including them in the MCU could open the door to just that. How badly do you want to see Spider-Man and the Human Torch hang out? Or Reed Richards talk smart with Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, and Bruce Banner? Or hear the phrase “it’s clobbering time”? It’s criminal that the Fantastic Four have been on the outside this whole time, they’re the first family of Marvel after all, and their return “home” might be considered the biggest win in the whole Disney/Fox buy out.

4. Skrulls- Shape-shifting aliens. One of my favorite Avenger storylines was Secret Invasion which saw the Skrulls replacing a number of different heroes over the years. The levels of paranoia that was introduced were epic and as a reader, I didn’t know who to trust. Imagine that translating to the MCU. I would love to see something like that play out on the big screen and might serve as a way to write out some of the original MCU characters who have expiring contracts. A fun piece to add to the growing space sagas of the MCU.

5. Doctor Doom- The MCU has often been picked on for having a bit of a villain problem, and I can see it in certain films with most villains outside of Loki, but the inclusion of Doctor Doom could fix that real fast. Arguably one of Marvel’s greatest villains, bringing Doom to the MCU could be a game changer for Phase 4. What a way to follow up Thanos…

6. Galactus & the Silver Surfer- Where ever the Surfer goes the eater of planets isn’t too far behind. Purge that crappy Fantastic Four movie from your minds, the obtaining of Galactus is huge (literally). Here’s hoping Stark, Quill, or Parker make some kind of cloud joke.

7. Wolverine– I know he can be included in the X-Men section but Wolverine kind of transcends groups. Probably because at one time or another he was a part of every major group in Marvel. This could be a perfect way to recast the iconic figure, but first… I’m willing to put money on the fact that Marvel has reached out to Hugh Jackman for one last appearance. In fact, Jackman is on record saying the only way he’d be Logan again if it was for an Avengers movie… make it happen, captain.

There you have it Geeklings, these are some of the biggest acquisitions for the MCU. Who are you most excited to see share the screen with some of your favorite characters? Sound off in the comments below or find me on Twitter @iamgeek32 to discuss all things MCU related. With this purchase, it seems that Marvel Studios will be making films forever, and I am very, very okay with that.