Avengers: Doomsday may set the X-Men up for a scary moment, if their trailer is to be believed. Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, will give the X-Men the resurgence they have needed for years, offering them their most comic-accurate depiction ever alongside multiple other Marvel hero teams. However, considering the state of doom fans expect to see in this movie, it is almost no surprise that the mutants will find themselves in serious trouble as well.
Marvel Studios released the third trailer for Avengers: Doomsday in late December 2025, this one centered on the legacy X-Men joining the film's cast. Specifically, it featured Sir Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier, Sir Ian McKellen's Magneto, and James Marsden's Cyclops in a new version of the X-mansion.
While Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr are seen playing chess and smiling, doom befalls the mansion in later shots. Marsden's Cyclops ends the trailer by letting out a massive blast of optic energy from his eyes after taking his classic goggles off. Fans can also see the foot of a Sentinel walking behind him, indicating the mansion and its occupants are in serious danger.
Many are theorizing that this scene with the X-Mansion will end with multiple X-Men meeting their deaths, as the building is shown in ruins. With the Sentinels showing up behind Cyclops, the theory is that they may kill off one or more of the major X-Men in this movie, setting the other heroes on a path for revenge before Victor von Doom comes into play.
Avengers: Doomsday will be the second MCU film released in 2026. Over 30 stars are already confirmed for this movie's cast, which will show the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and more teaming up to stop Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom from destroying the fabric of reality.
Which X-Men May Die in Avengers: Doomsday?
Looking ahead to Doomsday, at least some of the core X-Men team could be deemed safe from being killed off, at least not early in the film. Shang-Chi star Simu Liu teased scenes he has with both Stewart and McKellen, meaning they will be around for at least part of the film. Additionally, fans know too well about the reported fight between Nightcrawler and Reed Richards, meaning he might be off the hook for some of the plot as well.
However, along with the seven mutants confirmed for this movie's cast, there are other characters rumored to join them who have not been announced. This could be happening to avoid spoiling their deaths or to suggest they may not have as big a role as the stars who were confirmed.
That group includes characters like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool, Halle Berry's Storm, and Famke Janssen's Jean Grey. Janssen has already been rumored for a role in the film by X-Men writer Chris Claremont, as have the other three, thanks to other sources. Even so, Doomsday could potentially end with any of them being (at least temporarily) taken out by the Sentinels. Considering Scott Summers' distress, this may indicate the same for Jean.
While these deaths will all be kept under lock and key until Doomsday is released, expect massive carnage and destruction when the X-Men make their MCU return.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
