The multiversal ramifications of the Marvel Cinematic Universe reach unprecedented heights. In a bold move away from traditional marketing campaigns, Marvel Studios has introduced a line of character-driven “mini-teasers” to promote Avengers: Doomsday in 2026. The next offering in this line has caused shock waves among fans and within industry circles with the announcement of the return of the original X-Men from Fox in a story arc that looks to place them in perhaps the most dangerous narrative to date.
The 60-second teaser is a harbinger of a haunting image and not a celebration of a reunion. It starts with the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters battered and destroyed, debris littered all around the campus. Right from the start, it shows that the apocalypse, rightly called “Doomsday,” has arrived for the mutants.
The return of the big three and the new threat
The teaser zeroes in on the emotional pulse of the mutant saga. Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor X, this time sporting an aged look, one of frailty laced with the weight of years of responsibility. Sir Ian McKellen also returns as Magneto, with his long beard and unkempt hair, exuding the aura of a man who has learned the value of survival over conquest.
But the one that looms largest in social media circles is Cyclops, brought to us by the inimitable James Marsden. Clad in his remarkably comic book-true blue and yellow tactical suit à la X-Men ’97, he kneels in the smoldering wreckage of a battlefield. In a heart-thumping sequence, Marsden casts off his visor completely, unleashing an optic blast of primal power that obliterates the frame before shifting to black—an unmistakable indicator that the X-Men are about to face an enemy unlike any they’ve ever known before. The teaser also speculates about the death of someone very important, but no one knows who it might be.
Other confirmed X-Men in the fray are
• Beast: Kelsey Grammer, following his post-credit appearance in The Marvels
• Gambit: Channing Tatum, reprising his fan-favorite Deadpool & Wolverine role
• Nightcrawler: Alan Cumming, returning to the franchise for the first time since 2003’s X2
• Mystique: Rebecca Romijn, reprising the original version of the character
Anchoring the teaser is a chilling monologue given by Magneto:
“Death comes for us all. It’s all I know for sure. The question isn’t, ‘Are you prepared to die?’ The question is, ‘Who will you be when you close your eyes?’”
This, combined with the colossal Sentinel foot smashing the school memorial plaque, heralds the onset of a “Days of Future Past”-level extinction event. Visuals intimate the execution of the extinction event at the hands of the multiverse-empowered Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
Industry sources say Marvel is using this opportunity to make Doom a threat on a multiversal scale. Having a mutant team that viewers have invested in for 25 years, decimated—or put on the back foot—is infinitely more intimidating than Thanos.
The general consensus is that it is a “Legacy Farewell” event, as these X-Men seem to come from a hybrid reality that had a peek-through towards the end of The Marvels story, and their story in Doomsday will ultimately tie right into “Avengers: Secret Wars” that comes out in 2027, likely a soft reboot for a permanent team to come forth in future movies within the MCU.
In the midst of all this chaos, there is some poignant human interaction provided in the teaser with a scene of Xavier and Magneto playing a game of chess in the midst of the rubble of what was once a great school founded by the two of them. The teaser, though short, has reignited the buzz about Avengers: Doomsday, as it offers not only destruction but also an emotionally engaging plot. Fans are now waiting for the full release of the film, as they are interested in witnessing the original X-Men fight Doom and the Multiverse as well.
