The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s biggest box office bomb was much better than its box office suggests, and I’m glad that Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast announcement has just made it the most important film of the Multiverse Saga so far. Some of my favorite MCU movies have come out during the Multiverse Saga, though I’m well aware that this period of the franchise has faced a lot of criticism, and I agree with most of them. That said, I have a different view when it comes to some of the saga’s entries.

The Multiverse Saga comprises Phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU. I believe that the end of the Infinity Saga, Phase 3, left many fans accustomed to something unsustainable. Not every MCU entry can be a major event that either completely alters the franchise or makes over $1 billion. That said, there have been way more box office bombs or projects that did not connect with critics and the audience than I expected. However, I’m convinced some of those deserved better, and the worst-performing MCU Phase 5 movie — and franchise-wide — has now become crucial to the Multiverse Saga.

Avengers: Doomsday’s Cast Includes Many Returning Fox X-Men Stars

The MCU Is Pulling Out The Big Guns For The Avengers Franchise

Marvel Studios decided to surprise fans with a video announcement of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. The event was done in an unusual way, with Marvel livestreaming director’s chairs with the names of the stars who will be in the next Avengers movie. Every 10–15 minutes, a new name was revealed. While expected MCU stars like Chris Hemsworth and Paul Rudd were announced for the film, there were many surprises. From the MCU’s side, that included names like Tom Hiddleston, whose Loki season 2 could have served as his franchise exit, and Tenoch Huerta’s Namor.

However, the biggest surprises were from another established Marvel franchise. Avengers: Doomsday will pull heavily from Fox’s original X-Men franchise. The MCU film will see the return of stars like Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), and more. The Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement was shocking, and I have to say that I’m even more excited now than I already was for what could be the MCU’s most ambitious movie yet. I loved the original X-Men movies, so seeing key players come back is great, especially due to how the MCU has perfectly set up that connection.

The Marvels Set Up The X-Men’s Avengers: Doomsday Role

A Major Incursion Could Pull In Fox’s X-Men

The Marvels‘ post-credits scene set up the perfect way for the franchise to use the X-Men in Avengers: Doomsday. At the end of the film, the villain, Dar-Benn, opens a rift that leads to another universe. Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau managed to close it, but she had to go to the other universe to do so, remaining trapped there. I was shocked when she woke up to find not only a variant of her mom, Lashana Lynch’s Binary, but also Kelsey Grammer’s Beast in what was shown to be the X-Men’s mansion.

Beast even commented on how he was going to talk to Charles Xavier to give him an update on Monica. With Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast announcement revealing several Fox X-Men franchise stars, The Marvels has just become crucial to the film. We have seen before how multiversal travels can lead to incursions, which are events that consist of multiple Earths colliding and one or more being destroyed. It seems likely that Monica’s presence in the X-Men universe from The Marvels will trigger an incursion with Earth-616, leading to the Avengers and the X-Men fighting for their survival.

The Marvels’ Multiverse Saga Status Change Is Exciting

The MCU Movie Was Better Than Its Box Office Makes It Look

I’m excited by how The Marvels is now a crucial film in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Sadly, the Captain Marvel sequel became the lowest-grossing MCU movie ever, with only $206.1 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). While I will not stand here and say that all the criticism was unfounded, as Dar-Benn was a forgettable villain, the musical planet was not for everyone’s taste, and the story could have been sharper, I did enjoy The Marvels a lot. I thought the dynamic between its trio of heroes was perfectly handled.

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Adding to this, the idea of having their powers entangled led to creative and fast-paced action sequences. I thought there was plenty to like, with gorgeous visuals, funny moments, and emotional relationships. I would say that The Marvels going from the MCU’s biggest box office bomb to the most important film in the Multiverse Saga so far is the perfect upgrade the movie could have received. It means more people could check out the project after skipping seeing it in theaters, and I think they’ll realize how much there is to enjoy in The Marvels before Avengers: Doomsday arrives.

All Announced 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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