Original X-Men Rumored to Return in AVENGERS: SECRET WARS for One Final Send-Off
Marvel Studios may have one more big surprise planned for the original X-Men before the Multiverse Saga comes to an end. While Avengers: Doomsday is bringing several familiar mutants back into the MCU, a new rumor suggests their story won't end there. They'll reportedly return in Avengers: Secret Wars for one final farewell.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, the original X-Men cast is expected to appear in Secret Wars, giving Marvel another opportunity to bring these beloved characters together before moving forward with its planned reboot.
That's interesting because Doomsday was previously expected to serve as the final appearance for many of the actors who helped launch Fox's X-Men franchise. Now it sounds like Marvel may be saving their actual goodbye for the Multiverse Saga's grand finale.
Previous reports have also claimed that Patrick Stewart will reprise his role as Charles Xavier alongside Ian McKellen as Magneto in Secret Wars. If the latest rumor pans out, we could see even more familiar mutants join them.
Two obvious possibilities are Halle Berry as Storm and Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, neither of whom has been confirmed for the current lineup. Seeing those characters return alongside their former teammates would be a pretty awesome way to close out this chapter of the X-Men's history.
We also previously heard that the X-Men could become an important part of the story as Marvel Studios closes out the Multiverse Saga and prepares the MCU for its next era.
It was said that the mutants will have substantial material in the movie, saying: “The X-Men material in Avengers: Secret Wars is bigger than most people are bracing for. Not just cameos.”
Of course, none of these latest casting claims have been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios, so it's worth keeping expectations in check.
Richtman also shared an update on Doomsday, revealing that directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo are still working on the edit. The film reportedly hasn't been picture-locked yet, despite being less than two months away from its theatrical release.
That news follows positive reactions reportedly coming out of a recent test screening, including praise for Doctor Doom as one of the MCU's strongest villains.
Marvel's marketing campaign is also expected to pick up soon, with Richtman claiming the final Doomsday trailer will arrive next month. We could also see a major Empire Magazine cover story, Entertainment Weekly coverage, and some much-needed character posters as the release approaches.
As for Marvel's upcoming X-Men reboot, Christopher Abbott, who is set to play Professor X, recently addressed whether he'll appear in either of the next two Avengers movies. It doesn't sound like that's happening.
"I don't think so. Well, I don't even know–what's happening? What do you mean? I don't know what's going on. On no. I'm not in that," he shared. "I gotta do the X-Men movie first before any of that stuff."
After everything the original X-Men films brought to the superhero genre, it would be great to see Marvel give these characters a proper send-off. Secret Wars feels like the perfect opportunity to do it, especially if the studio can reunite some of the actors who haven't shared the screen in years.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.