Marvel's 10-Year-Old Forgotten TV Pilot Was the MCU's Most Ambitious X-Men Setup

Damage Control has been set up to be the next big foe in the MCU, particularly when it comes to the X-Men.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing for one of its biggest movies yet with Avengers: Doomsday, which will unite veterans of 20th Century Fox's X-Men movies with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. That isn't the end for the mutant heroes, as a new X-Men movie helmed by Jake Schreier is in the works following Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. Details are scarce, but the MCU has set up a perfect foe for X-Men in the form of the Department of Damage Control, which was originally conceived as a TV series a decade ago.

Why it matters

Damage Control could provide a new and unique threat for the X-Men in the MCU, one that taps into themes of prejudice and persecution that have long been central to the mutant heroes' stories. The organization's potential to utilize anti-mutant technology like Sentinels could make them a formidable adversary for the X-Men, setting the stage for an epic clash between Marvel's mightiest heroes and their newest foes.

The details

The original Damage Control comics were created by Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colón, answering the question of who cleans up after superhero battles. The Damage Control TV series was first announced in 2015, with The Daily Show writer Ben Karlin helping to develop it as a comedy looking at the aftermath of battles in the Marvel Universe. However, the show never came to pass. Damage Control eventually made its way onto the silver screen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, reimagined as a group that cleans up and catalogs weaponry from superhero battles. The organization has since taken on a more antagonistic role in the MCU, with its agents attempting to frame superhumans and potentially developing anti-mutant technology like Sentinels.

  • The Damage Control TV series was first announced in 2015.
  • Powerless, a similar series set in the DC Universe, was released in 2017 but was canceled after a single season.
  • Damage Control first appeared in the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming, released in 2017.
  • Damage Control has continued to play an antagonistic role in other recent MCU projects, such as Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man.

The players

Dwayne McDuffie

The co-creator of the original Damage Control comics.

Ernie Colón

The co-creator of the original Damage Control comics.

Ben Karlin

The writer who helped develop the Damage Control TV series that was announced in 2015.

Walter Declun

The CEO of Damage Control in the comics, who was revealed to be manufacturing disasters for profit.

William Metzger

The leader of an anti-mutant militia in the comics, who may appear in the upcoming X-Men: Children of the Atom miniseries.

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What they’re saying

“Damage Control is intended to be an ensemble cast situation comedy along the lines of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Barney Miller, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinnati, Cheers, and the like, but set firmly in the Marvel Universe.”

— Dwayne McDuffie, Co-creator of the original Damage Control comics (Collider)

What’s next

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is set to premiere in theaters on July 31, 2026, could provide further insight into Damage Control's role in the MCU and its potential threat to the X-Men. Additionally, the upcoming X-Men movie helmed by Jake Schreier will likely explore how Damage Control and its anti-mutant agenda will factor into the mutant heroes' story.

The takeaway

The Department of Damage Control has evolved from a comedic concept in the original comics to a potentially formidable foe for the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its ability to utilize advanced technology and its apparent anti-mutant agenda could make it one of the X-Men's greatest challenges yet, setting the stage for an epic clash between Marvel's mightiest heroes and their newest adversaries.