X-Men Favorites Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsden Are Back in the New Avengers: Doomsday Trailer

Need to Know

• Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsden reprise their X-Men roles in the latest teaser for Avengers: Doomsday.
• Previous teasers revealed Chris Evans returning as Steve Rogers and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
• Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18.

The X-Men are officially making their return in the next Avengers installment.

On January 6, Marvel Studios released the third teaser for this year’s Avengers: Doomsday. The new footage features Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen reprising their roles as Professor X and Magneto, respectively, engaging in a telekinetic chess game. The teaser also showcases James Marsden as Cyclops, unleashing his iconic laser beams, accompanied by the text: “The X-Men will return in Avengers: Doomsday.”

The latest trailer for the highly anticipated Doomsday marks the first Avengers title since 2019’s Endgame. Prior teasers confirmed Chris Evans’s return as Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, alongside Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

It remains uncertain how many additional trailers Marvel will release for the film. A report from Variety indicated on December 23 that multiple Doomsday teasers focusing on different characters are planned.

Ian McKellen in Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel Entertainment

Details about Avengers: Doomsday were first revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, where the updated title and the new villain were announced. Notably, Robert Downey Jr., known for his iconic role as Iron Man, will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom.

While the Infinity Saga centered around Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) as the primary antagonist, the upcoming Multiverse Saga will introduce Doctor Doom as its main villain. Downey’s return comes after Iron Man’s sacrifice to save the world in Avengers: Endgame.

Patrick Stewart in Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel Entertainment

Both Doomsday and its forthcoming sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, are expected to feature the casts of the MCU’s Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts. The returning cast for Doomsday also includes Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Simu Liu, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and Kelsey Grammer, who co-starred with Stewart, McKellen, and Marsden in the X-Men films of the 2000s and 2010s.

Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters on December 18.