Summary
Avengers: Doomsdayis poised to be the MCU’s biggest film yet, and rumors suggest it could feature one of Marvel Comics' most iconic battles. Marvel brought back the Russo brothers to once again direct the massiveAvengersteam-up film, hoping to repeat their success withAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame. The cast is also staggering, seeing Robert Downey Jr. return in a new role as the villainous Doctor Doom, appearing alongside the cast ofThunderbolts*,The Fantastic Four, and numerousX-Menactors from Fox’s run of films.
Rumors have swirled about the production ofAvengers: Doomsday, which is currently underway. Marvel has big plans for their newX-Menreboot, with several reports pointing toward potentially including some of those mutant characters inDoomsday. Ian McKellan is confirmed to return as Magneto, along with Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier, and Kelsey Grammar as Beast. Potential newcomers have been mentioned, with Patrick Schwarzenegger rumored to be filming scenes as Cyclops. Other whispers point toward castings for characters like Rogue, as Margaret Qualley’s name has come up. However,with all the confirmedAvengersandX-Mencharacters, another rumor surroundingDoomsdaymay give the MCU the iconic comic book bout between the two.
IsAvengers: DoomsdayGiving AudiencesAvengers Vs. X-Men?
One of the biggest rumors emerging from theAvengers: Doomsdayset is that a battle between the Avengers and X-Men was filmed.With Marvel looking to bring back so many of Fox’sX-Mencharacters, with a potential eye toward rebooting the MCU, their bold choices are already proving exciting.Deadpool & Wolverinesaw the firsttrue emergence of Fox’sX-Menuniverse crossing into the MCU, with the characters utilizing the multiverse to make their way into a new franchise.Avengers: Doomsdayis set to include numerous FoxX-Men, some of whom are likely still unannounced, setting the stage for their farewell as the MCU sets about rebooting the mutants with new actors.
With the inclusion of the multiverse, the MCU could also include their newX-Menactors, who are yet to be confirmed.Avengers: Doomsdaywould be an excellent spot to introduce the new X-Men, working to insert them into a universe where they previously didn’t exist. This could spawn a conflict with the Avengers. While theAvengers vs. X-Menstoryline in the comics stemmed from a different source, it was still one of the biggest events to play out, marking something fans havehoped to see in the MCUfor some time.With Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom,Avengers: Doomsdayis already toying with unique ideas.An Avengers vs. X-Men battle could be the epic curveball many weren’t expecting, much like Downey’s return.
TheAvengers Vs. X-MenComic Book Story, Explained
In many comics, heroes often fight. That is the basis of theAvengers vs. X-Mencomic crossover event, which debuted in 2012.The story sees the Phoenix Force returning to Earth, with the Avengers and X-Men believing it is coming for Hope Summers.Believing the best course of action is to take Hope into protective custody,Captain America tries to reasonwith Cyclops on the mutant island haven, Utopia. Cyclops disagrees, believing Hope is the mutant messiah and refusing to hand her over. In response, Captain America assembles the Avengers on Utopia, and war breaks out.
During their confrontation, the Phoenix Force is split between five heroes, including Cyclops. The Phoenix Five begin taking prisoners, and Cyclops begins to lose his sanity. The Avengers and X-Men team up to stop a common enemy when Cyclops eventually becomes the Dark Phoenix. Hope and Scarlet Witch work together to rid him of the Phoenix Force, ultimately ending the ordeal.In the aftermath, Cyclops is placed under arrest and willingly goes to jail, with Captain America assembling a new team of Avengers.
CouldAvengers Vs. X-MenTie IntoAvengers: Doomsday?
Many of the characters needed to makeAvengers vs. X-Menhappen inDoomsdayare already in place.While Hope and the Phoenix Force would be new introductions to the MCU,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsmay present an alternative. Trailers forThe Fantastic Fourrevealed thatSue Storm is pregnant, with her and Reed’s son Franklin potentially filling in for Hope in the comic storyline. Franklin Richards is an extremely powerful character who could pose new problems for the MCU, which may spur conflict between the heroes.
Other returning characters inAvengers: Doomsdayalso tie into theAvXstory, as both Wakanda and Namor play a role in the crossover event. One of the comics' most significant moments is the death of Professor Xavier. While it was later revealed to have been faked, the MCU could use it to give the character another send-off. Xavier has died twice in movies, which could take away from the moment’s impact, but it does play into the comics.
WhileAvengers: Doomsdaywon’t focusonAvengers vs. X-Menas the story’s sole inspiration, elements are in place to at least give fans a glimpse at one of Marvel’s most iconic battles. Details surrounding the production will likely stay under wraps for quite some time, as Marvel is known to do. However,Avengers: Doomsdaylooks to be shaking things up. Most of the MCU’s film adaptations are not direct translations, leaving the door to anAvengers vs. X-Menfight wide open.
