LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki are all returning for Avengers: Doomsday, the latest ensemble film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’ll be joined by several legendary members of the original X-Men cast, marking a significant crossover event.
Marvel made the announcement in a series of social media videos released on Wednesday, gradually unveiling the star-studded cast. Among the biggest surprises was the return of Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Ian McKellen as Magneto. The two actors, who defined these iconic roles in the early 2000s X-Men films, will reprise their characters as Marvel and Disney continue to integrate Fox’s legacy superhero franchises into the MCU.
Joining them are Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler. Their inclusion has already sparked intense speculation about how the film will explore different timelines and universes, especially given that younger actors took over these roles in later X-Men reboots.
Beyond the returning heroes, Avengers: Doomsday will also introduce new faces to the MCU. Vanessa Kirby, who is set to debut as Sue Storm in this July’s Fantastic Four: First Steps, will also appear in Doomsday, further solidifying the Fantastic Four’s place in the expanding cinematic universe.
With a mix of veteran characters and fresh additions, Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most ambitious projects yet, bringing together beloved heroes from across multiple generations of superhero films.