The original FoxX-Menfranchise had some of the absolute best castings of all time, and 20 years after their final battle,Avengers: Doomsdayis bringing them all back. TheMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)began in 2008, two years afterX-Men: The Last Standwrapped up. In that final confrontation between legendary heroes and villains like Magneto and Professor X, the franchise appeared to take its final bow.
And yet, 20 years later, after the MCU has released almost 40 feature-length films, the X-Men from the 2000s era will return, with an unbelievable lineup. With the announcement of thecast list forAvengers: Doomsday, some of the most surprising and exciting names on the list were actors from before the MCU ever existed. And now, 20 years afterThe Last Stand, the ultimateX-Men team will appear side by side with the latest Marvel heroesand villains in an epic showdown.
20 Years After X-Men: The Last Stand, Avengers: Doomsday Is Bringing Back The OG X-Men
The X-Men Will Return In The MCU After 20 Years Away
Avengers: Doomsdayis set to be one half of the final chapter of the Multiverse Saga. Just like in the Infinity Saga, whenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgameclosed out the story of Thanos and the Infinity Stones,DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warswill put an end to the multiversal madness that has been playing out in the latest films from Marvel Studios. And to make it an extra special occasion,Marvel is pulling heroes from across the many timelines.
Which Marvel character were you most surprised to not see revealed as part of Avengers: Doomsday?
The Avengers: Doomsday chair reveal will go down in history whether you loved it or thought it was a massive waste of time. Millions watched a live stream over the course of five and a half hours to see the names of actors that will be in Avengers: Doomsday. While there were a lot of surprises (that X-Men roster has me over the moon!), there were some notable names missing. Marvel teased on social media in an exchange with Robert Downey Jr. that there is always room for more, so I expect several other names to be announced - likely at San Diego Comic-Con. I was shocked to see that Brie Larson, Hugh Jackman, and Tom Holland were absent from the lineup, but the one that surprised me the most is Benedict Cumberbatch. For some reason I just expected Doctor Strange to be a major part of this film. Only time will tell if he does indeed make an appearance.
And whileDoomsdaywas anticipated to bring in a cast of characters with a nearly unlimited range, no one could have predicted that more than a year out, a portion of the cast list,including some of the most iconic X-Men actors of all time, would be announced. Regardless, here we are, and the original live-action X-Men heroes are officially coming to the MCU to face off against the likes ofRobert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, and work together alongside familiar heroes whose popularity has soared over the last 20 years.
We’re Finally Getting The X-Men Team We Always Wanted
This Is An X-Men Team Like You’ve Never Seen Before
And even more than that, the actual lineup of this X-Men team is entirely unexpected. While the first movie released in 2000 featured the likes of Storm, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and more who appeared consistently in their trilogy,Doomsdayis adding some unexpected characters to the team. The first announcement was Patrick Stewart, who will evidently be reprising his role as Professor X, which he interestingly already popped up in the MCU duringDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, joining him will be his right-hand man James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming who played Nightcrawler inX2, and Channing Tatum, who played Gambit inDeadpool & Wolverine.
Remy LeBeau/Gambit
Deadpool & Wolverine(2024)
What’s interesting about these characters is the fact that Nightcrawler has been gone since 2003, and whileChanning Tatum was cast as Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, over a decade ago, he never got a chance to star in his movie due to delays in production. And in addition, they will be joined by old rivals Ian McKellen as Magneto and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. The potential for how, why, and what these characters may look like upon their return is limitless, withMarvel Studios now having a chance to pull out all the stopsand really make these heroes shine.
Will We Get Any Surprise X-Men In Avengers: Doomsday?
This Is Just The First Round Of Announcements For Avengers: Doomsday
And while this only marks a portion of Professor X’s X-Men, and Magneto’s Brotherhood, Marvel Studios has confirmed that there is “room for more.” While there are many more MCU heroes still due to appear in the movie that has yet to be announced, and a variety of other franchises who could make an appearance, there is achance thatDoomsdaywill include even more returning mutantsfrom the original Fox run and even the reboot.
Marvel is a juggernaut of entertainment, and the fact that it was able to draw so much attention and have millions of concurrent viewers on a five-and-a-half-hour live stream certainly indicates that the studio is still standing strong. As the countdown toDoomsdaybegins, Marvel will likely unveil many more surprises and other castings to fill out the film, and set the stage forAvengers: Secret Wars. However, if Marvel stopped here,Avengers: Doomsdaywould still have the makings of an incredible superhero moviewith dozens of returning stars from throughout Marvel history.
