25 years after the original ‘X-Men’ helped establish the era of the superhero movie, the original heroes reunited at San Diego Comic-Con ahead of Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. Hall H’s appearance marked a turning point for long-time fans, bringing together many of the actors who helped turn ‘X-Men’ into one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. The meeting comes as Marvel prepares to bring more of these beloved characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, marking the end of a rivalry that has been years in the making.The episode brought together James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer, the stars behind Cyclops, Mystique and Beast respectively. There was also Black Panther’s Tenoch Huerta and several members of the Thunderbolts including Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman and David Harbour, teasing their upcoming collaboration with the mutant heroes. Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen and Alan Cumming, who played Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto and Nightcrawler, respectively, did not attend the celebrations.
Original ‘X-Men’ reunite at Comic-Con ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Among the stars expected to reprise their famous roles in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ are 86-year-old Patrick Stewart, 87-year-old Ian McKellen, 52-year-old James Marsden, 71-year-old Kelsey Grammer, 53-year-old Rebecca Romijn and 61-year-old Alan Cumming. Wolverine’. The return of these veteran stars shows Marvel Studios’ commitment to honoring the franchise’s classic mythology and integrating it into the broader MCU narrative.
James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer joined their fellow Marvel stars at a special Comic-Con meeting ahead of their return to ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. Photo credit (Instagram)
How the original ‘X-Men’ franchise helped shape the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Before Tony Stark launched the 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 brought back such favorites as Nightcrawler and Beast. Over the next two decades, the series grew into a sprawling franchise that included originals, Wolverine spinoffs, the ‘Deadpool’ movies and classics like ‘Logan’.
How the rights to the movie ‘X-Men’ returned to Marvel Studios
Despite their popularity, the ‘X-Men’ were separated from the Avengers for a simple reason: the film rights belonged to a competing studio. This changed in 2019 when Disney ended up acquiring the previous rights holder, bringing the ‘X-Men’ franchise under Marvel’s control and opening the door to the crossover fans have been dreaming of for years.Since then, Patrick Stewart returned as Professor X in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ while Kelsey Grammer surprised audiences with Beast in ‘The Marvels’. The first true pairing came in 2024’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, which saw Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool teaming up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in the iconic series.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ unites ‘X-Men’, Avengers and Fantastic Four
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is expected to include the ‘X-Men’ and the Avengers, the heroes of the Fantastic Four and Wakanda as they face Doctor Doom and the threat of various groups. The movie is the result of years of Marvel’s efforts to merge the previously separate divisions into a common universe. With a December 18th release date, the film is poised to be a big tentpole that will change the direction of the MCU for years to come.