More than 25 years after the original X-Men kicked off the modern era of superhero movies, the series’ original stars reunited at San Diego Comic-Con ahead of their return in Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. The Hall H appearance marks a full-circle moment for longtime fans, bringing together many of the actors who helped make “X-Men” one of Hollywood’s biggest superhero franchises. The gathering comes as Marvel prepares to bring many beloved characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, marking the culmination of a crossover that’s been years in the making.The stage is populated by James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer, the stars behind Cyclops, Mystique and Beast respectively. Also in attendance were Black Panther’s Tenoch Huerta and several of the Thunderbolts cast members, including Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman and David Harbour, who previewed their upcoming collaborations with the mutant heroes. Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen and Alan Cumming, who play Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto and Nightcrawler respectively, did not attend the celebrations.
Original ‘X-Men’ cast reunites at Comic-Con ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Stars expected to reprise their iconic roles in Avengers: Doomsday include Patrick Stewart, 86, Ian McKellen, 87, James Marsden, 52, Kelsey Grammer, 71, Rebecca Romijn, 53, and Alan Cumming, 61. Following Channing Tatuto’s surprise appearance in “Deadpool and Doomsday,” Channing Tatuto’s “The Poker” will also join the lineup. Wolverine’. The return of these classic stars demonstrates Marvel Studios’ commitment to honoring the series’ classic mythology and integrating it into the broader MCU narrative.
James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer joined other Marvel stars for a special Comic-Con reunion ahead of their Avengers: Doomsday return. Image source (Instagram)
How the original ‘X-Men’ series helped create the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Before Tony Stark launched the Marvel Universe (MCU) in 2008, the X-Men were Marvel’s biggest movie stars. Bryan Singer’s 2000 film “X-Men” launched the franchise, followed by 2003’s “X2” and 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” which led to fan favorites like “Nightcrawler” and “Beast.” Over the next two decades, the franchise grew into a massive franchise that included prequels, a Wolverine spinoff, a Deadpool movie, and critically acclaimed standalones like Logan .
How the “X-Men” movie rights will return to Marvel Studios
Despite its popularity, “X-Men” remains separate from the Avengers for one simple reason: the film rights belong to a competing studio. That finally changed in 2019, when Disney completed its acquisition of the former rights holder, putting the X-Men rights under Marvel’s control and opening the door to crossovers that fans had dreamed of for years.Since then, Patrick Stewart has returned as Professor The first real connection appeared in 2024’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” when Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine formed a landmark collaboration.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ unites the X-Men, Avengers and Fantastic Four
“Avengers: Doomsday” is expected to unite the “X-Men” with the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the heroes of Wakanda to face Doctor Doom and multiverse-level threats. The film is the culmination of Marvel’s years-long effort to merge once separate franchises into a common narrative universe. The movie is set to be released on December 18, and it promises to be a huge pillar in changing the direction of the Marvel Universe in the coming years.
