A new Avengers: Doomsday poster teased that the destruction of the X-Men is nigh. Fans still don't know much about Doomsday, but Marvel Studios has touted that the Avengers and the Fantastic Four visit an Earth inhabited by the classic Fox X-Men for an epic clash that may determine the fates of their universes. The December blockbuster is bringing back at least six iconic X-Men from the early 2000s as Incursions set the Multiverse's demise into motion, while Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom masterminds events from the shadows.
Robert Downey Jr. took to Instagram to repost a new Avengers: Doomsday poster created by the renowned BossLogic that highlights the X-Men's ultimate destruction as a chess match. The poster shows the king standing alone and victorious, casting a shadow that closely resembles Doctor Doom's legendary cloaked attire amid a graveyard of captured pieces.
On closer inspection, the shards of one of the shattered pieces form an X, hinting at the fate that could befall the Fox Earth, now that three Marvel universes are on a collision course, including the MCU and the Fantastic Four's Earth-828.
This isn't the first time that the chess metaphor has been used for Doomsday, as fans saw Patrick Stewart's Professor X and Ian McKellen's Magneto playing one more game as the threat of Incursions looms in the X-Men-centric third teaser.
Doomsday will reportedly bring the end of Stewart's acting career and, therefore, the final appearance of his legendary Charles Xavier. As such, it's only fitting for him and his old friend/archnemesis, Magneto, to play one last chess match as the Multiverse, and with it, the X-Men's Earth, face their untimely destruction.
If recent rumors are to be believed, the classic Fox X-Men will be in a very different place in Doomsday than when they were last seen in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Most notably, Magneto has reportedly fulfilled his lifelong dream of creating a "mutant utopia," making their inevitable destruction only more heartbreaking.
Chess has long been a symbol of Magneto and Professor X's never-ending rivalry, highlighting their conflicting strategies for mutant-human relations, with Xavier protecting pawns while Lehnsherr sacrifices them for the greater good.
While Fox arguably underutilized Professor X and Magneto's relationship, chess remained a visual metaphor across the studio's reign, as it will again in Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsday's X-Men line-up officially includes Patrick Stewart's Professor X, Ian McKellen's Magneto, James Marsden's Cyclops, Rebecca Romjin's Mystique, Channing Tatum's Gambit, and Kelsey Grammer's Beast. Fans will discover on December 18 whether Marvel Studios is hiding any more mutant surprises, such as Hugh Jackman's Wolverine or Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool.
Is Avengers: Doomsday Truly the End of the Fox X-Men?
Moving into Avengers: Doomsday, a collision between the MCU (Earth-616) and Fox's X-Men universe is expected to be the "main Incursion," thrusting the heroes of each world into conflict to give their universe a chance of survival.
While the Avengers and X-Men will face off in Doomsday, Earth's Mightiest Heroes aren't the only threat coming for the mutants. It seems RDJ's Doctor Doom will seize control of mutant-slaying Sentinels for the conflict, although it's unclear whether he will be allied with the Avengers or taking on both sides at once.
Regardless, the chessboard is a perfect metaphor for Doom's genius, as he carefully manipulates situations, often unknowingly to his opponents, to achieve his goals. As such, there is every chance that Doom is the one pitting the heroic teams against each other, perhaps hoping to distract them from his master plan.
Marvel Studios still hasn't confirmed which X-Men, if any, will return next year for Avengers: Secret Wars, which is likely to take place on Battleworld. It's possible that Doomsday will be the final farewell for these X-Men before Secret Wars ushers in the rebooted mutants, including bringing back Sadie Sink as Jean Grey.
