How could the X-Men appear in Avengers: Doomsday?

But how can this happen? In 2019, Marvel Studios finally recouped the rights to the X-Men (as well as The Fantastic Four), after selling them to avoid bankruptcy in the 1990s.

So, rights-wise, we're ready to go. But story-wise? That will be an interesting thing to navigate.

How could Marvel Studios introduce the X-Men in Avengers: Doomsday?

It's likely that Doomsday will follow the events of the Secret Wars comic by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic and see an incursion happen, resulting in various Marvel universes colliding and resulting in a new Battleworld universe, which Doctor Doom (set to be played by Robert Downey Jr) takes control of.

What could cause this incursion, though? We've already been introduced to various different universes, including the X-Men universe, and the reality that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in – so we could see these worlds colliding (quite literally).

Thanks to The Marvels, which sees Monica Rambeau waking up in an alternate universe and being greeted by Grammer's Beast, we've already had a glimpse of the world that the X-Men have inhabited up until now in the MCU.

We were also shown their world in Deadpool & Wolverine, which featured Tatum's Gambit as a prominent character. However, the X-Men have been largely untouched by the events of the MCU – until now.

This is also assuming that the actors will be playing the same version of the characters that they've played in the past.

There's a distinct possibility that we could meet different versions of Charles Xavier, Magneto and co, from different areas of the multiverse.

The fact that Downey Jr is playing Doctor Doom has already proven there's something strange going on with the multiverse in Doomsday, so only time will tell as to whether that's the case for the other characters, too.

What happened to Marvel Studios' rights to the X-Men?

In 1994, Fox obtained the rights to the X-Men, resulting in the production of the beloved series of films starring Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen.

However, Disney then acquired Fox in 2019, regaining the rights to the X-Men. Deadpool & Wolverine, released in 2024, served as a crossover between the Fox universe and the MCU, paving the way for Doomsday and Secret Wars.

When did we last see the X-Men set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday?

It can be tricky to keep up with when we last saw each of these characters – here's exactly what each of them last appeared in (at least, these versions of them):

• Charles Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart): Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
• Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen): X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
• Mystique (Rebecca Romijn): X-Men: First Class (2011 – uncredited cameo)
• Cyclops (James Marsden): X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
• Gambit (Channing Tatum): Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
• Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming): X2: X-Men United (2003)
• Beast (Kelsey Grammer): The Marvels (2023 – post-credits scene)

Avengers: Doomsday is coming to cinemas in May 2026.

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