More than 25 years after the original ‘X-Men’ helped launch the modern superhero movie era, the franchise’s original stars reunited at San Diego Comic-Con ahead of their highly anticipated return in Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. The Hall H appearance marked a full-circle moment for longtime fans, bringing together many of the actors who helped turn the ‘X-Men’ into one of Hollywood’s biggest superhero franchises. The gathering comes as Marvel prepares to bring many of those beloved characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, marking the culmination of a crossover that has been years in the making.The stage brought together James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer, the stars behind Cyclops, Mystique and Beast respectively. Also present were Black Panther’s Tenoch Huerta and several Thunderbolts cast members 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 starred as Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto and Nightcrawler, respectively, did not attend the festivities.
Original ‘X-Men’ cast reunites at Comic-Con ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Among the stars expected to reprise their iconic roles in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ are Patrick Stewart at 86, Ian McKellen at 87, James Marsden at 52, Kelsey Grammer at 71, Rebecca Romijn at 53 and Alan Cumming at 61. The ensemble will be joined by Channing Tatum’s Gambit, following his surprise appearance in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. The return of these legacy stars demonstrates Marvel Studios’ dedication to respecting the franchise’s classic mythology and incorporating it into the broader MCU narrative.
James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer joined fellow Marvel stars for a special Comic-Con reunion ahead of their return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.Image credit (Instagram)
How the original ‘X-Men’ franchise helped create the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Before Tony Stark kicked off 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 fan favourites like Nightcrawler and Beast. Over the next two decades, the series grew into a sprawling franchise that included prequels, Wolverine spinoffs, the ‘Deadpool’ films and acclaimed standalone entries such as ‘Logan’.
How the ‘X-Men’ movie rights returned to Marvel Studios
Despite their popularity, the ‘X-Men’ remained separated from the Avengers for one simple reason: the movie rights belonged to a competing studio. That finally changed in 2019 when Disney completed its acquisition of the previous rights holder, bringing the ‘X-Men’ rights under Marvel’s control and opening the door for the crossover fans had dreamed about for years.Since then, Patrick Stewart returned as Professor X in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ while Kelsey Grammer surprised audiences with a Beast cameo in ‘The Marvels’. The first true crossover came in 2024’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ which saw Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool work alongside Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in a landmark team-up.
‘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 Wakanda’s heroes as they face Doctor Doom and a multiverse-level threat. The movie is the result of years of Marvel’s efforts to merge the once separate franchises into a common narrative universe. With a December 18 release date, the film is positioned to be a huge tentpole that will alter the course of the MCU for years to come.
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