It’s still unclear when the X-Men will debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Disney + shows continue to push things in that direction. This was the case with the last episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . Not only did Sam and Bucky, along with an unlikely ally, visit a prominent mutant-centric location in the Marvel Comics Universe, but there were several other X-Men Easter Eggs during their little visit. .
Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3 from now on. Proceed with caution. The episode sees Sam and Bucky teaming up with Zemo. They’ve formed a difficult alliance with the villain to uncover the truth behind this new Super Soldier Serum that has emerged. In search of leads, the journey takes them to Madripoor, an island nation that may well be familiar to those who have followed the X-Men comics over the years. Bucky describes it as an ancient “pirate sanctuary” at one point.
In the pages of Marvel Comics, Madripoor is a fictional island in Southeast Asia that has appeared in series such as New mutants , Wolverine , Falcon Eye , War Zone punishers of X-Men Blue . The location was featured by legendary X-Men scribe Chris Claremont and artist Steve Leialoha in 1985. New Mutants# 32. Although it is an element of the Marvel universe in general, it is often associated with mutants. Photos from the previous series during filming indicated that Madripoor might consider the series’ script. They also hinted at the possible inclusion of a villain named Ogun. Bad luck on this front. At least not yet.
Additionally, a trailer for the show stated that the duo were about to take a trip to Madripoor. Either way, this is a Major tip of the hood to mutants in the MCU. In addition, during the trip to this city, they pass a water point called Princes Bar. In this case, a character by the name of Patch frequents the establishment in the comics. Patch is Wolverine’s alter ego when he visits Madripoor. So it could, in a roundabout way, be a close connection to Wolverine.
Finally, a character named Selby, owner of an establishment called the Brass Monkey, appeared in the episode. She provided information to the gang and was quickly killed. Or so it seems. The dead in the MCU have a way of not sticking. Either way, a character of the same name was a mutant in the comics who was part of the Mutant Liberation Front. So that could also be seen as a link to the Mutants and the X-Men in the MCU.
This, coupled with the inclusion of Evan Peters as Quicksilver in WandaVision continues to build a case for the X-Men to come to the MCU ASAP . We know a reboot is coming at some point. It’s just a matter of when, not if. In the meantime, it looks like the folks at Marvel Studios will continue to lay a trail of breadcrumbs. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3 is now available on the Disney + streaming app.
