The multiverse is on the verge of collapsing, and there's a high chance that everything we know and love will be under Doctor Doom's reign. Avengers: Doomsday will mark the first big Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover since 2019 when audiences witnessed how Iron Man gave his life away to defeat Thanos and his forces. However, things will be slightly different this time around as Earth's Mightiest Heroes won't be alone when attempting to save the world. The official cast for Marvel's highly anticipated project revealed that other groups such as the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, and the X-Men will have a key role to play, which has been a long time coming.
The Mutants especially have had a pretty complicated journey when it comes to joining the MCU. Initially, Fox held the rights to any live-action adaptations of the characters — which made it impossible for them to cross paths with the likes of Tony Stark or Captain America, who are under the Disney umbrella. Fortunately, all of this changed when the House of Mouse purchased Fox back in 2019. Since then, we've slowly seen a few members of the X-Men appear in projects such as The Marvels and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, it wasn't until the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine that they finally had the spotlight to themselves.
All hopes are on Avengers: Doomsday to properly introduce Mutants in the MCU in a big way. Now, we finally have an idea of how things could pan out courtesy of new set photos.
A first look at Magneto and Cyclops in the Avengers: Doomsday set is here
Thanks to an Avengers: Doomsday set picture shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Marvel Guy, we seemingly have our first look at Ian McKellen's Magneto and James Marsden's Cyclops. If you were a fan of the original X-Men Fox movies, then we have news for you: They have attires similar to the ones of their first big screen appearances. It's a nostalgia trip yet again, one similar to the ones that we've lived courtesy of movies such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Another set picture showcases Cyclops talking with who's presumed to be Wong. While the latter wasn't initially announced as part of the cast for Avengers: Doomsday, everyone expected him to make a return due to his role as the MCU's Sorcerer Supreme. But even if the picture doesn't reveal any "unexpected" surprises, it's a joy to see these characters interact with each other. For the longest time, they were part of two different worlds that had next to zero chance of colliding. Fortunately, that has all changed in recent years.
Now, the biggest question of them all is: From which universe are these versions of Cyclops and Magneto? While their outfits would suggest they are pulled straight from the Fox reality, it seems highly unlikely given that Professor X will also appear in the movie, and he's technically dead in that world (though there's also a discussion to be had about Logan's timeline placement). Besides, Deadpool & Wolverine implied that the TVA pruned the Fox characters. With that in mind, we should turn our attention elsewhere, and it seems like an MCU project might have the answers.
During the post-credits scene of The Marvels, it's revealed that Monica Rambeau was transported to a different universe altogether where Mutants do exist. Furthermore, it was established during the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that the longer someone spends in a reality different from their own, the longer they risk causing an incursion. So all pieces are set for Monica's new home to crash into the MCU, and maybe even pit the X-Men against the Avengers before they ultimately come together to fight Doctor Doom.
It's always exciting to be on the verge of watching a new Avengers movie. Expectations are at an all-time high for Marvel to make history once again, and they have the roster of characters to do so. Hopefully, we'll get our first official look at the movie sooner rather than later.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on May 1, 2026.