Although Avengers: Doomsday already has seven confirmed returning X-Men actors, I’m pretty confident we’ll be seeing even more in the upcoming movie. Having been presented as the beginning of the end for the entire Multiverse Saga preceding Avengers: Secret Wars, it feels logical to assume that there are going to be more mutant heroes featured in Doomsday.
The seven returning X-Men actors confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday are: Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), James Marsden (Cyclops), and Channing Tatum (Gambit). That said, here are six more X-Men who stand the best chance of returning in Avengers: Doomsday as well.
Jean Grey (Famke Janssen)
Reports from longtime X-Men writer Chris Claremont suggest that Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey is set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, despite no official announcements. Claremont does have a fair amount of credibility, having previously revealed Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers well before it was officially confirmed by Marvel Studios.
Easily one of the most powerful mutants in Fox’s prior X-Men universe, Jean Grey would be a welcome addition to Avengers: Doomsday’s roster of mutant heroes. That said, even a brief cameo would be welcome, especially if Doomsday and Secret Wars are going to be the last ride for the Fox-era characters ahead of Marvel Studios’s reported X-Men reboot post-Multiverse Saga.
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)
Having already made his MCU debut in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, the presence of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Doomsday also feels quite likely, though perhaps it would only be a brief appearance in the movie’s final scenes, teeing up a greater role in Secret Wars.
Either way, Wolverine’s involvement would instantly generate even more hype and excitement, especially with the opportunity to see Jackman and James Marsden’s Cyclops standing side-by-side wearing comic-accurate suits for the first time on screen.
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds)
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is the literal definition of a wild card for the MCU, and it’s hard to know what his future holds. That said, it would be amazing to see Deadpool in Avengers: Doomsday, especially after 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, where he traveled the multiverse in search of a Wolverine to serve as his reality’s new anchor being.
Thanks to Deadpool’s history with the TVA and experience with the multiverse, it’s not hard to imagine Wade encountering Loki in Doomsday. Furthermore, we all still need to know why Thor was crying over Deadpool in that brief glimpse of the MCU’s future (including Wade himself).
Like Wolverine, Marvel Studios might be saving Deadpool for Avengers: Secret Wars, though an appearance in Doomsday would not be surprising in the slightest (and would be most welcome).
Storm (Halle Berry)
Halle Berry’s Storm is another iconic member of the X-Men missing from official announcements. As such, her return would carry enormous weight and excitement. Looking back to her previous roles in Fox’s X-Men franchise, it’s widely believed that Berry’s Storm never really got the full spotlight she deserved (something Doomsday could help redeem with a surprise appearance).
Rogue (Anna Paquin)
Anna Paquin’s Rogue feels like another likely fan-favorite X-Men candidate. Having been a central character in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, Paquin also returned in the “Rogue Cut” of Days of Future Past. The new version of the film added 17 minutes of additional footage that greatly expanded Paquin’s character, allowing Rogue to play a crucial role in creating a new future for mutantkind.
Keeping that in mind, the chance to see Paquin’s Rogue one more time would be very satisfying, not to mention the opportunity to finally see a live-action encounter between Rogue and Gambit.
Iceman (Shawn Ashmore)
Shawn Ashmore’s Iceman is another logical inclusion. Bobby Drake’s Iceman offers visual spectacle with his impressive powers while also being one of the most recognizable characters from the prior Fox continuity. As a result, he’d be ideal for both a brief appearance or even a bigger role alongside the rest of the confirmed X-Men we have thus far.
However, it’s worth noting here at the end of this list that some returning X-Men may be hidden from Doomsday’s marketing for darker reasons. After all, the X-Men-focused Doomsday teaser that was recently released revealed a burning Xavier School in ruins.
Not only were Patrick Stewart’s Xavier and Ian McKellen’s Magneto shown contemplating the end, but Jame Marsden’s Cyclops was shown on his knees firing off a desperate optic blast with the legs of Sentinels shown behind him, suggesting a very dark fate for the X-Men of this reality.
Keeping that in mind, I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that some returning X-Men are being hidden because we’re going to see them die in Avengers: Doomsday, with the X-Men we do have confirmed being those who are left. At any rate, I’m still hoping that Avengers: Doomsday will have more mutants before Marvel Studios leaves the X-Men’s Fox-era behind for good.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to release in theaters on December 18th from Marvel Studios.
- Release Date
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December 18, 2026
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Vanessa Kirby
Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
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Johnny Storm / Human Torch
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Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Ben Grimm / The Thing
