The original Fox X-Men franchise had some of the absolute best castings of all time, and 20 years after their final battle, Avengers: Doomsday

is bringing them all back. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

began in 2008, two years after X-Men: The Last Stand wrapped 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 the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday, some of the most surprising and exciting names on the list were actors from before the MCU ever existed. And now, 20 years after The Last Stand, the ultimate X-Men team will appear side by side with the latest Marvel heroes and 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: Doomsday is set to be one half of the final chapter of the Multiverse Saga. Just like in the Infinity Saga, when Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame closed out the story of Thanos and the Infinity Stones, Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will 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.

And while Doomsday was 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 of Robert 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, Doomsday is 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 during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, joining him will be his right-hand man James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming who played Nightcrawler in X2, and Channing Tatum, who played Gambit in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine.

What’s interesting about these characters is the fact that Nightcrawler has been gone since 2003, and while Channing 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, with Marvel Studios now having a chance to pull out all the stops and 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 a chance that Doomsday will include even more returning mutants from 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 to Doomsday begins, Marvel will likely unveil many more surprises and other castings to fill out the film, and set the stage for Avengers: Secret Wars. However, if Marvel stopped here, Avengers: Doomsday would still have the makings of an incredible superhero movie with dozens of returning stars from throughout Marvel history.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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  MCU Spider-Man 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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