The X-Men, originally featured in 20th Century Fox’s Marvel films over two decades, are joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the recent confirmation of one cast member’s return after a seven-year absence raises questions. Marvel Studios announced the initial group of actors for the upcoming crossover movie, directed by the Russo brothers, in March 2025. This list of 27—which has since grown—included seven actors who previously appeared in Fox’s X-Men films.
The world featured in these stories, originally released between 2000 and 2020, is an alternate Earth (Earth 10005) where the Avengers never existed, but mutants have become the dominant powered individuals. This reality reappeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine, showcasing a battle against Doctor Doom (played by Robert Downey Jr.). However, considering the established timeline of the X-Men films, the return of a particular mutant—one who was once a villain but later became a hero—doesn’t quite add up.
The X-Men Are Returning, But Mystique Doesn’t Fit
Kelsey Grammer will return as Beast in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, continuing his role from The Marvels (2023). Channing Tatum is also back as Gambit from Deadpool & Wolverine, marking the first time this character will fight alongside the X-Men in a live-action movie. Joining them are familiar faces like Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Cyclops (James Marsden), Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn).
Mystique, a shapeshifting mutant, first appeared in the X-Men movies from 2000 to 2006. Jennifer Lawrence took on the role in 2011’s X-Men: First Class and continued playing her through a new storyline, culminating in the character’s death in 2019’s Dark Phoenix. That’s why her reappearance in Avengers: Doomsday is so puzzling – it seems to contradict the established timeline of the X-Men films.
The recent changes to the X-Men storyline showed that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Raven Darkhölme first connected as children, developing a close, sibling-like relationship. While events involving Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and the emergence of Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) eventually drove a wedge between them and led to the formation of the X-Men, their history was much richer and more detailed than what fans saw in the original X-Men movies. This new background added depth to their characters.
The movie Dark Phoenix was Fox’s second try at bringing the famous storyline to the screen, featuring Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, who is overtaken by a powerful cosmic energy. When Jean loses control, she unleashes a blast that tragically kills Mystique, impaling her on wooden stakes. The film made it clear she was gone – her team held a funeral, and her death spurred Magneto to rejoin the battle. This makes her reappearance in Avengers: Doomsday quite confusing.
How Can Mystique Return In Doomsday After Her Death?
Although Mystique dies in Dark Phoenix, her reappearance in Avengers: Doomsday seems strange. However, Marvel Studios could easily explain how she comes back to life. Dark Phoenix is set in 1992, nearly 40 years before Avengers: Doomsday, which gives the X-Men plenty of time to develop a way to revive heroes—particularly if they’re facing a major crisis like an incursion or the emergence of Doctor Doom.
Mystique has a history of coming back to life in Marvel Comics. Since she first appeared in 1978’s Ms. Marvel #18, she’s been badly hurt or even killed multiple times, but she always returns. For example, during the 2009 Necrosha storyline, she was resurrected with other mutants by Selene using a techno-organic virus, as Selene attempted to become a goddess. While that specific story probably won’t be used in Doomsday, Marvel has other options for explaining how Mystique could return.
The MCU has shown characters being brought back to life before – Elektra Natchios was resurrected by the Hand in the series The Defenders (2017). In the Marvel comics, the Hand also revived Mystique, even giving her increased abilities, after Wolverine killed her in Wolverine #9 (2010). However, the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film might take inspiration from the Mutant Resurrection Protocols introduced in the comics, which offer another possible method of bringing characters back to life.
The nation of Krakoa developed a way to bring deceased mutants back to life, and Mystique was one of them. She had previously died fighting the Mother Mold, a powerful robot designed to create more of itself. With threats to reality on the rise, it’s logical the X-Men would want to resurrect strong allies, which led to the creation of the Mutant Resurrection Protocols.
Bringing back characters like Mystique who previously died in the X-Men movies—especially without an explanation—would feel awkward in Avengers: Doomsday. While Dark Phoenix wasn’t well-received, Mystique’s death felt definitive, so her return needs to be addressed. The same goes for any other characters brought back from the dead. Regardless, it’s exciting to think about Rebecca Romijn reprising her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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2026-04-25 01:11