Avengers: Doomsday is keeping a few X-Men on the sidelines, and an evil choice by Doctor Doom in the comics might have something to do with it. The X-Men renaissance is currently underway. X-Men '97 is dominating Disney+ by telling a story that's as captivating for newcomers as it is for people who grew up on the original cartoon. Marvel Studios is also working on a full-blown reboot for the MCU, with director Jake Schreier scouring the globe for his perfect cast.
Before the new X-Men reveal themselves, though, the old ones are going to have one last ride. Many members of Fox's original cast are reprising their roles in Doomsday. The headliners, of course, are Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, who play Professor X and Magneto, respectively. James Marsden is another name worth mentioning, as his character, Cyclops, will finally get to don a comic-accurate costume in the fifth Avengers movie.
The rest of Doomsday's X-Men roster leaves a bit to be desired. Beast and Nightcrawler, who both only appeared in one Fox movie, got the nod, as did Mystique, a character relegated to background villain status in the studio's original trilogy. And then there's Gambit, Channing Tatum's Cajun, who burst onto the scene in Deadpool & Wolverine.
More than a few heavy hitters are missing from that lineup, including Jean Grey, Storm, and, of course, Wolverine. The actors who play those characters have all had different responses when asked about not getting the call for Doomsday. But they all seem interested in suiting up again, which makes their absence puzzling.
The only logical explanation at this point is that there's an in-universe reason for the mutant team being short-handed. Without any major Doomsday marketing to sift through for clues, the next best place to look is Marvel Comics, a treasure trove of superhero information.
X-Men/Fantastic Four, a four-issue event written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Terry and Rachel Dodson, focused on Franklin Richards wrestling with the decision to move to the mutant haven, Krakoa. Like in most Fantastic Four stories, Doctor Doom got involved in the action. While visiting Doom Island, the heroes discovered that the villain had been capturing mutants and forcing them to become Doombots after Wolverine cut one up. And just to rub salt into the wound, he also built his own line of Sentinels.
Doom's transgression didn't go unpunished, as both superhero teams came together to put an end to his schemes. However, it's possible that Doom didn't let his variants across the multiverse know that capturing mutants is a bad idea. Doomsday's iteration of the villain could be about to make the same mistake and pay dearly for it.
Tensions Are High For The X-Men In Avengers: Doomsday
Toward the end of 2025, Marvel Studios dropped four Doomsday teasers to set the stage for its highly anticipated event film. The third one put the spotlight on the X-Men, namely Professor X and Magneto. But Cyclops also made a brief appearnce, taking off his visor and unleashing an epic optic blast. It seemed as if Scott Summer was at his wit's end and wanted to end the battle with the Sentinels with one attack.
Cyclops would certainly be emotional if he learned that his closest friends in the world had been taken by Doom and turned into the very machines they fought to destroy. If Kevin Feige and Co. really want Robert Downey Jr.'s villain to surpass Thanos as the MCU's best villain, it's going to take actions like that to seal the deal. Doom just better be ready to face the music after, because there's little that can get in the way of a motivated X-Men team.
