The five-hour stream that announced the cast ofAvengers: Doomsdaycertainly got fans talking for many reasons. One of the biggest factors was the reveal of multiple X-Men characters from the 20th Century Fox X-Men films returning for the upcoming MCU film, paying off teases established inThe MarvelsandDeadpool & Wolverine. Despite big names like Wolverine, Storm, and Jean Grey not being present, it certainly sounds like Marvel isn’t done announcing cast members, and the X-Men roster will likely grow in the coming months.
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
The X-Men characters that were announced to return are interesting, as they include many actors making their long-awaited return to the franchise since they were last seen inX-Men: Days of Future Past, with one actor reprising his role more than twenty years after he last appeared. So far, the X-Men roster consists of three famous blue mutants, two best friends/enemies, the X-Men’s underrated leader, and a fan-favorite addition to the franchise who made his live-action debut inDeadpool & Wolverine. These are the X-Men characters confirmed to appear inAvengers: Doomsday.
The first name announced was Kelsey Grammer, reprising his role as Hank McCoy, aka Beast. Grammer originated the role inX-Men: The Last Standand had a brief cameo at the end ofX-Men: Days of Future Pastin the reset timeline. He reprised the role once more inthe post-credits scene ofThe Marvels, now depicted with CGI and resembling the version seen inX-Men: The Animated Series.
WhileNicholas Hoult played the role of Beast longer than Grammer—starring in fourX-Menmovies from 2011 to 2019—many fans consider Grammer the definitive version of Beast. This certainly speaks volumes, given that theX-Menmovie in which he plays the biggest role,The Last Stand, is considered one of the weakest in the franchise. With Beast’s cameo at the end ofThe Marvels, his return in the Multiverse Saga was expected—and is certainly welcome.
6Professor X
By the timeAvengers: Doomsdayhits theaters, Patrick Stewart will have played the role of Professor X for 26 years, having originated the role in 2000’sX-Men. With eight on-screen appearances, Stewart’s Professor X has appeared in more films than any other X-Men character, second only to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Stewart is no stranger to the MCU, havingpreviously played a variant of his Professor XinDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Stewart’s Xavier has died on screen inX-Men: The Last Stand,Logan, andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so fans are anticipating his death once more in the events ofAvengers: Doomsday. The version of Professor X featured inAvengers: Doomsdaywill likely be the one Stewart portrayed in the 20th Century Fox films—or a variant who is nearly identical—given that franchise’s confusing timeline. Audiences will also see the long-awaitedreunion between Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and his on-screen Magneto, as Ian McKellen returns for the fifthAvengersmovie.
X-Men Could Replace The Avengers as Marvel’s Main Franchise
With the premiere of X-Men ‘97, it might be time for the X-Men to reclaim their spot as Marvel’s top team from The Avengers.
While Grammer and Stewart had previously appeared in MCU films, it was the reveal that Ian McKellen would join the cast ofAvengers: Doomsdayas Magneto that truly shocked fans. It made the slow five-hour reveal even more exciting, since anyone from Marvel’s past now seemed to be on the table. McKellen played the role of Magneto in 2000’sX-Men, 2003’sX2: X-Men United, 2006’sX-Men: The Last Stand, and was last seen in 2014’sX-Men: Days of Future Past. This marks his return to the character twelve years after he last portrayed the Master of Magnetism.
While Magneto might be the most famous X-Men villain,he is also often an ally of the team. It certainly sounds like he will be fighting alongside the X-Men inAvengers: Doomsday. Magneto’s arrival is exciting for two reasons. The first is the idea of seeing Magneto face off against Doctor Doom. The two characters are amongMarvel’s most iconic villains, and they have a complicated relationship in the comics—so pitting these two forces against each other will be a cinematic sight to behold. The second is that, for years in the comics, Magneto was the father of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Marvel Comics retconned this in 2014 due to the film rights between the X-Men and Avengers being split at the time, and Marvel wanted the comic version of Scarlet Witch to better align with the films. However, now that Disney owns both franchises,Avengers: Doomsdaycould bring back Scarlet Witch and re-establish the Magneto and Scarlet Witch father-daughter connection.
4Nightcrawler
If Magneto’s arrival wasn’t big enough news, it was the return of Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler that truly got fans freaking out. Cumming played Nightcrawler inX2: X-Men Unitedin one of the best performances in theX-Menfilm franchise, and his opening action scene still stands as the best opening to a superhero film. To many fans’ disappointment, Cumming did not return forX-Men: The Last Stand, with his absence explained in the tie-in video game released that summer. Even though Kodi Smit-McPhee played a young Nightcrawler inX-Men: ApocalypseandX-Men: Dark Phoenix, it was never the same without Cumming.
Many fans were also disappointed that the actor did not return forX-Men: Days of Future Past. While the complicated makeup was a major factor in Cumming’s decision not to return for futureX-Menmovies, he also hada bad working experience with director Bryan Singer onX2: X-Men United. With the now-disgraced director returning forDays of Future Past, Cumming chose not to be involved. With Singer no longer attached, Cumming’s return as Nightcrawler inAvengers: Doomsdaywill come just one day shy of the 23rd anniversary ofX2: X-Men United—a moment fans have waited years for, and one they likely never imagined would happen.
Despite Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence having played Mystique in fourX-Menmovies,Rebecca Romijn remains the fan-favorite versionof the shape-shifting mutant. Romijn originated the role inX-Menand received a greatly expanded part inX2: X-Men United. Due to commitments filmingUgly Betty, Mystique’s role was reduced inX-Men: The Last Stand, where she was depowered—marking the last time Romijn wore the blue makeup. She later made a cameo as an older version of Raven Darkholme inX-Men: First Class, but by the timeAvengers: Doomsdayarrives in theaters, it will have been twenty years since she last appeared in full Mystique form.
With Nightcrawler’s inclusion inAvengers: Doomsday, fans are likely hoping the film will finally reveal that Mystique is, in fact, his mother. WhileX2: X-Men Unitedleft the door open to tease that connection in a later film, neitherX-Men: ApocalypsenorX-Men: Dark Phoenixever explored it—despite the two characters appearing prominently together on the same X-Men team. Mystique also has a notable history with Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel in the comics. Even though Brie Larson was not among the initial names announced, with more cast reveals on the way, Marvel might deliver a showdown between Captain Marvel and Mystique as a homage to the comics.
Sounds Like ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Is Finally Bringing a Much-Needed Marvel Comics Plot to the MCU
The return of Namor alongside the Fantastic Four suggests ‘Doomsday’ might adapt Marvel Comics’ first love triangle.
The reveal that James Marsden is returning as Cyclops made fans very happy. Since theX-Menmovies, Marsden has become a beloved actor through roles inEnchanted,Westworld, and theSonic the Hedgehogfilms. Yet, he was underutilized in the originalX-Mentrilogy, with Cyclops often overshadowed by Wolverine. Marsden last played Cyclops in a cameo inX-Men: Days of Future Past, which effectively undid the character’s controversial death inX-Men: The Last Stand—a decision made becauseMarsden was filmingSuperman Returnsat the time.
Cyclops’s image among the general public has certainly rebounded thanks toX-Men ‘97, which showcases him not only as the X-Men’s capable leader but also as a true heavy hitter. With rumors suggesting thatAvengers: Doomsdaymight be a loose adaptation ofAvengers vs. X-Men, it’s possible that Marsden’s Cyclops will be leading a more militant and aggressive version of the team—one determined to ensure their world’s survival at any cost. In bothAvengers vs. X-MenandSecret Wars, Cyclops wields the Phoenix Force, and with those comics clearly serving as inspiration for the final two-partAvengerssaga, there’s a strong chance audiences could see a Phoenix-powered Cyclops.
After years of anticipation, Channing Tatum’s Gambit finally made a name for himself inDeadpool & Wolverine. Tatum had spent over a decade pursuing the role and nearly five yearstrying to get aGambitsolo movie off the ground. Many fans dismissed the idea and criticized the casting choice, but the actor got to showcase his talents in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine—Marvel’s first real hint at the X-Men and Avengers colliding in the Multiverse Saga.
While somewhat treated as a joke, Tatum’s Gambit became an instant fan-favorite and the source of countless memes and gifs.Deadpool & Wolverineoriginally featured a post-credits scenein which Gambit was rescued from the Void via a sling ring portal. Though the scene was cut from the theatrical release, it was later released online, and a brief trace of it can be seen on one of the TVA monitors in the film’s actual post-credits scenes. After so many years, Tatum finally proved the naysayers wrong—hecanbe Gambit. And now, inAvengers: Doomsday, he gets to stand alongside the X-Men, just as he was always meant to.
