You're right, it was simply called something different back then. Besides, a lot of people love X-Men, right? And they've been touting the Woke theme from the start. X-Men is partly a voice for homosexuals, trans people, minorities, etc. In Rings of Power (I've only seen episode 1 of season 1), Galadier's character is a bit edgy and supposedly poorly written, but such "cocky" characters are often criticized. As for the deliberate inclusion of such content—your sense is probably correct. I've read/heard several analyses from people who know more about films/TV shows that it's possible. Apparently, grifters and studios benefit from each other in a symbiotic way.