How Avengers: Doomsday can redeem Fox's X-Men

It seems that X marks the spot in Avengers: Doomsday, as fans of the original lineup of X-Men from Fox’s noughties era are in for a treat. While we know there’s not room for everyone, the lengthy Doomsday cast reveal confirmed the return of series staples Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart as Magneto and Professor X, joined by Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, James Marsden’s Cyclops, Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, and Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique. Finally, more classic X-Men are officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The official Marvel Studios Instagram confirmed, “There’s always room for more,” in terms of others being added to the 27-strong Doomsday cast.  More than just missing MCU mainstays like Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, a host of the Fox-era X-Men could be suiting up in the shadows. After Deadpool & Wolverine finally put Hugh Jackman’s clawed Canadian in a comic-accurate suit some 24 years after he first played the part, we’re dying to see Scott Summers and co. in something other than black leather.

A Storm is coming

In the immediate aftermath of the Doomsday reveal, there was an ‘electrifying’ rumor that Halle Berry could be reprising her role as Storm. After being vastly underused in the original trilogy of X-Men through to X-Men: The Last Stand, Berry had an equally underwhelming part in the X-Men: Days of Future past crossover movie – largely due to her being pregnant during filming. There are also complaints that Famke Janssen hasn’t been confirmed as Jean Grey, especially after she sent the internet into a spin when teasing a possible return to ComicBook.com in 2024.

The current crop of X-Men returning for Doomsday presents a confusing mix. Grammer has already stopped by in the MCU thanks to an unexpected appearance in The Marvels’ post-credit scene, but with a lack of Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau on the Doomsday roster, it’s unclear whether we’ll be getting another Beast variant. Elsewhere, we’re overjoyed that Alan Cumming is back as Nightcrawler after the star has seemingly found a new lease of life with The Traitors. Despite appearing in X2’s iconic opening White House scene, Cumming didn’t return to the role because he was apparently fed up with the arduous make-up process.

There’s also a reprieve for Romijn, who was unceremoniously depowered in X-Men: The Last Stand and failed to appear in Days of Future Past. By this point, Jennifer Lawrence was playing a more sympathetic version of the character, having taken up the role in the X-Men: First Class reboot. Many were critical of the way the studio took Mystique, but in terms of being an ass-kicking antihero, Lawrence's version couldn’t hold a candle to Romijn's. Similarly, James Marsden could finally get his time to shine as the de facto leader of the X-Men. Summers got largely overshadowed by the Cyclops, Jean, and Wolverine love triangle of the original trilogy, while his Days of Future Past cameo was confined to a single scene.

The Rogue Cut

Aside from Stewart and McKellen, it feels like all the rest of these X-Men alumni never got to do their characters justice. Similarly, the addition of Channing Tatum redeems his long-held hopes of leading a Gambit movie and cashes in on one of Deadpool & Wolverine’s best jokes. Still, it feels like the MCU is missing a chance with Anna Paquin’s Rogue. After becoming a fan-favorite of X-Men: The Animated Series, there was disappointment that Fox didn’t seem to know what to do with the character after she was a major focus of 2000’s X-Men. This was most evident when the character was all but erased from X-Men: Days of Future Past, largely replacing her arc with Elliot Page’s Kitty Pryde and leading to the infamous Rogue Cut. The only problem is that the already groaning Doomsday cast means most of those stopping by will likely have a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo akin to Stewart in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

It’s currently unclear how things will play out, and despite popular rumors the likes of Sadie Sink, Jack Champion, and Hunter Schafer are being sought for Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Mystique, it’s also possible we’ll move forward with the old guard… for now. After all, the record-breaking success of Deadpool & Wolverine makes it look like Hugh Jackman still has a few more outings in him as Logan. If (and it’s a big IF) Disney wants to cash in on the nostalgia of the Fox years before giving us a long-awaited MCU reboot, something like “The Dark Angel Saga” or “House of X” could eke out one more blockbuster. There's no sign of the First Class crowd like Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and James McAvoy, but they'd be equally welcome in Doomsday or future installments.

The question is, would the MCU really invest so heavily in the past when it needs to look to the future? Even though the box offices of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine suggest nostalgia can bring in the big bucks, it feels like the time of both the OG X-Men and First Class gang has passed. Giving a few fan-favorites a bit of screen time in Doomsday is one thing, but in terms of a full-blown Avengers vs. X-Men movie, we might have to wait until Charles Xavier’s gifted youngsters get their imminent MCU reboot.

After all, there’s a reason fans are speculating that Secret Wars will catapult into the so-called Mutant Saga. Still, if any X-Men alumni from either era deserve a chance at redemption, it has to be Lana Condor’s Jubilee from X-Men: Apocalypse.