Perhaps attempting to prove that reports of its box office demise have been greatly exaggerated, Marvel on Wednesday announced major casting news for its upcoming “Avengers” sequel that both flex the power of its history and set it up for the future.
A major component to their plan: The return of characters and actors from the original “X-Men” franchise, a Marvel property that was under the 20th Century Fox banner before Disney purchased that studio in 2019. The “Avengers: Doomsday” cast now includes Sir Patrick Stewart, who has portrayed Professor X in multiple “X-Men” movies, Sir Ian McKellen as adversary Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.
All of these actors last appeared together in 2003’s beloved sequel “X2: X-Men United.”
Kelsey Grammer, who famously played Beast in 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand” and showed up in a post-credits scene in 2023’s “The Marvels,” will also appear, Marvel revealed.
The jam-packed cast for “Doomsday” – set to premiere in theaters in 2026 – was announced via livestream over the course of roughly five hours and included 27 names in all, including the previously announced return of Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Doctor Doom.
Joining the “X” alums are Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) mainstays Chris Hemsworth, who has played Thor since 2011, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, and Simu Liu, who played Shang-Chi in his 2021 standalone film.
