The cast of Avengers: Doomsday has officially been revealed by Marvel – and it includes two gay stars of the original X-Men trilogy, Alan Cumming and Sir Ian McKellen.
So far, in typical Marvel fashion, very little is known about the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, save from, thanks to a lengthy livestream today (26 March), its cast and that it’s now in production.
And while some expected names were revealed (via director’s chairs, no less), Marvel fans also got a few surprises thrown their way – including some stars of the original, early 2000s X-Men franchise.
Marvel stalwarts revealed to be in Avengers: Doomsday included Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/ Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/ The Winter Soldier, Tom Hiddleston as Loki (somewhat surprising, given Loki‘s season two finale), and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man.
The yet-to-be-seen Fantastic Four (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) will also be facing their doom, alongside other familiar names like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi and Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman and David Harbour.
But the casting department at Marvel then did its big one, with the video confirming that several stars of the original X-Men live action films, spanning from 2000 to 2006, would be making their return, including out gay Scottish actor and Traitors US host, Alan Cumming.
Cumming played lovable German circus performer–turned–assassin–turned-X-Man Kurt Wagner, otherwise known as the blue, teleporting Nightcrawler, in 2003’s X2.
Further X-Men stars to rejoin the Marvel fray include Patrick Stewart and out gay icon Sir Ian McKellen, reprising their roles as long-time frenemies Charles Xavier/ Professor X and Erik Lehnsherr/ Magento (though the former had a brief, neck-cracking cameo in 2022 sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness).
Original Mystique actor Rebecca Romijn was also confirmed to return; she played the reptilian blue-shapeshifter in the film’s original trilogy before Jennifer Lawrence assumed the role in the franchise’s 2011 reboot.
James Marsden’s Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast (seen in a Marvels end-credit scene in 2023) and Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who made his debut in Deadpool & Wolverine, were also all confirmed to be back in the Marvel fold.
Oh yeah, and Robert Downey Jr. is back – but this time, as Doctor Doom.
Notable casting absences include The Marvels trio of Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris, Elisabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, as well as Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
The next Marvel film to be released is Thunderbolts*, which will hit screens 2 May. Fantastic Four: First Steps, starring internet daddy Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, will kick off Marvel’s Phase Six on 25 July.
Avengers: Doomsday.is currently scheduled for release on 1 May 2026.
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