Avengers: Doomsday wrapped filming in September last year at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom. Production distributed crew gifts featuring embroidered artwork of the film’s massive character roster, which later surfaced publicly at the Futures Festival held at Pinewood Studios.
The Futures Festival showcased promotional materials and behind-the-scenes content from recent productions filmed at the iconic studio. Among the displayed materials were embroidered patches and artwork from Avengers: Doomsday, providing the clearest look yet at five characters who served as villains in previous Marvel properties but may not all play antagonistic roles in the upcoming crossover. The artwork showcases Doctor Doom, Magneto, Mystique, Nightcrawler, and Namor in costumes that closely resemble their comic counterparts. Alongside what we’ve already seen in the four Doomsday teasers, Marvel is clearly committing to comic-accurate designs for its most iconic characters, especially the X-Men.
Marvel Villain Characters & Their Avengers: Doomsday Costumes
Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom dominates the crew merch artwork. His mask appears far more detailed and menacing than the temporary prop glimpsed in The Fantastic Four: First Steps mid-credits scene.
The costume features metal armor scattered throughout, including elaborate shoulder pauldrons and ornate cloak clasps. Doom wears a proper flowing green cloak, a signature element of the character that previous film adaptations either minimized or eliminated entirely.
His expressionless metal mask creates a sinister vibe, capturing Doom’s cold, calculating nature. The design matches promotional materials shown at Disney’s 2026 Merchandise Expo in Shanghai, suggesting consistency across all marketing.
This represents Doctor Doom in full glory, the comic-accurate villain fans wanted for decades. Every detail, from the mask’s expression to the cloak’s drape, honors the source material.
Magneto
Ian McKellen’s Magneto sports his iconic crimson-and-purple helmet in the crew merch artwork. The design closely resembles his X-Men ‘97 animated series appearance, bringing the comic-accurate look to live-action.
Magneto will have a significant visual change in Doomsday. He appeared in the third Doomsday teaser with longer hair brushing his shoulders, a departure from McKellen’s previous appearances in the Fox X-Men trilogy.
The costume maintains Magneto’s signature red tones while incorporating purple elements that comic readers recognize instantly. Previous Fox films often dressed McKellen in leather or armored suits that downplayed the comic book aesthetic. Avengers: Doomsday embraces the vibrant color scheme.
McKellen accidentally revealed that Magneto destroys New Jersey during the film, demonstrating power far exceeding anything shown in the Fox movies. This costume upgrade accompanies his power upgrade, positioning him as one of Doomsday’s most powerful players.
Mystique
Rebecca Romijn returns as Mystique, wearing a white-and-blue costume with a prominent diamond-shaped design in the chest area. This design diverges significantly from her previous appearances while honoring comic book elements.
Romijn portrayed Mystique in the original Fox X-Men trilogy, wearing blue body paint and minimal clothing to simulate her natural mutant form. Jennifer Lawrence later took over the role in X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, and Apocalypse, eventually spending more time in human form than her blue appearance.
Avengers: Doomsday gives Mystique an actual costume rather than relying solely on body paint. Mystique served as a villain in early Fox films before becoming an antihero in later installments. Her role in Doomsday will be an interesting one, given her comic history with Nightcrawler, who will also feature in the film.
Nightcrawler
Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler wears a tactical red-and-black suit that looks like it features his iconic V emblem on the chest. Cumming portrayed Nightcrawler in X2 (2003), wearing dark leather jackets throughout the film.
The character’s blue skin and demonic appearance served as his primary visual elements rather than any costume. Kodi Smit-McPhee later played a younger Nightcrawler in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, also without a proper superhero suit. Avengers: Doomsday looks like it'll give Nightcrawler the costume comic readers recognize.
Namor
Tenoch Huerta’s Namor receives a sharp redesign based on one of his most famous comic book looks. The fourth Avengers: Doomsday teaser showed Namor alongside Shuri in updated costumes, and the crew merch further confirms these upgrades.
Namor’s new costume could potentially incorporate Wakandan technology following the alliance between Wakanda and Talokan formed at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The redesign features a black armored vest with a signature high-popped collar and gold trim
Namor served as the primary antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, battling Wakanda over perceived threats to Talokan. The film, however, ended with peace between the nations.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
