LEGO has the chance to bring X-Men back – but different

The rumoured 76281 X-Men Jet is alleged to be coming into land next year – but who might be on board?

Thanks to rumours reported by 1414falconfan on Instagram, it seems like 76281 X-Men Jet will be landing on shelves in January of next year. With a relatively hefty price tag of $79.99 for just 359 pieces (if the rumour is to be believed), we could well expect a few impressive minifigures paired with a less detailed jet. This would account for the price-per-piece ratio – and also get us thinking about what kind of characters might be on their way as well.

In the fast-approaching 71039 Marvel Series 2, we’re getting classic versions of Beast, Wolverine, and Storm, all clad in their comic-accurate costumes. this could be a sign that more obscure, comic-based X-Men characters could also be on the way. Indeed, this would make sense in a year that the MCU is tentatively opening the door to a wider array of characters in Deadpool 3, inviting Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine into the franchise.

After all, the X-Men Jet (or X-Jet) is more well-known and iconic in the comics than in any of the (confusing) cinematic timelines that the mutants star in. While almost every iteration of the X-Men uses a jet to nip around the world, whether that’s to get to Cuba, Russia, or across the US, in the comics, the X-Jet has the same level of importance and instant recognition as the Batmobile or Stark’s red-plated technology. If the X-Jet is the primary inspiration for the rumoured 76281 X-Men Jet, then it only makes sense for the associated minifigure to also hale from comic-book pages, rather than the big screen.

That means the door could well be open to more obscure X-Men characters, aside from the main characters that already featured almost a decade ago in the LEGO Marvel Superheroes theme. Here are a few suggestions of characters that we’d love to see, but let us know some more in the comments down below.

Meggan

As a mutant empath with the ability to shapeshift, Meggan would be a particularly fun minifigure to see, as her ability to change form could be reflected in a variety of minifigure accessories. What’s more, she was a prominent member of the original Excalibur in the late 80s and early 90s, so would be a worthy character to throw back to, especially considering she hasn’t had much screen or page time since.

Polaris

Polaris came back to get her moment in the spotlight in 2021, joining a refreshed team of X-Men in the comics – but she’s had long-time relevance in the world of X-Men. She’s the daughter of Magneto and inherited her fathers’ powers to manipulate magnetic fields, even able to generate new ones herself. What’s more, she has a strong connection to the Scarlet Witch (both positive and negative relationships), as can be seen in the similarities between their costumes.

If the LEGO Group wanted to slowly introduce more retro X-Men characters to the LEGO Marvel theme, who better than the Scarlet Witch (aka Wanda Maximoff)’s potentially long-lost half-sister?

Colossus or Juggernaut

Another justification for such a large price-per-piece ratio for 76281 X-Men Jet is that the pieces could be used to create a big-fig. Characters that could fit the bill for this kind of inclusion are Colossus or Juggernaut, both of whom are known for their huge builds and oversized limbs.

Colossus would also be easy to work in, as he’s already connected to the MCU via Deadpool. Plus, an all-silver minifigure would look seriously cool. Similarly, Juggernaut has a similar build to LEGO Marvel Hulkbusters, with his domed helmet, so it’s not uncharted territory for the LEGO Marvel designers.

The cast of X-Men ’97

If the LEGO Group doesn’t go down the obscure character route, it could be that it will take inspiration from the upcoming X-Men ’97 animated series, picking up where the original X-Men animated series ended back in 1997. The cast for this show has already been confirmed to include Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee, and Cyclops, led by Magneto, now with a new look of long hair and a purple suit.

We’ve already got Wolverine, Storm, and Beast, so could the rest (or at least some of the team) show up, also in their classic costume appearances? It’s entirely possible.

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