The all-new X-Men are officially heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and a newly cast Tony Stark will eventually join them. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed during a press event on Friday that the studio will recast the X-Men following the events of 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
Several original X-Men stars will return one last time in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Kelsey Grammer. Stewart reprised his role as Charles Xavier in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while Grammer briefly returned as Hank McCoy in a post-credits scene from 2023’s The Marvels.
Looking ahead, Marvel plans to replace the original cast with new actors – even for familiar characters – while also introducing never-before-seen mutants. This strategy mirrors the comic book shift that followed 2015’s Secret Wars, when Marvel collapsed multiple timelines into a single continuity, leading to new combinations of familiar faces.
Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts) will direct the upcoming X-Men movie, which will introduce a fresh lineup of actors as the iconic mutants.
Feige explained that Secret Wars will act as a turning point for the MCU. “We’re using that story not only to conclude the arcs we began after Endgame, but more importantly to build what’s next,” he said. “‘Endgame’ was about endings. Secret Wars is about beginnings.”
Reboot? No, it’s a “Reset”
Feige avoided calling the transition a “reboot,” instead describing it as a “reset.” “Reboot is a scary word,” he said. “It means different things to different people. We’re thinking in terms of a reset – a singular timeline. That’s where X-Men comes in.”
He emphasized the thematic power of the X-Men comics, which center on Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and often tell stories about adolescence and identity. “The X-Men have always been about young people who feel different, who feel like outsiders,” he said. “That’s a universal story – and that’s exactly where we’re going.”
Feige also revealed that Marvel plans to recast other major heroes, including Tony Stark and Captain America (Steve Rogers). He acknowledged that actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans left big shoes to fill but pointed to long-running franchises that have successfully recast iconic roles.
As for the future of Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Feige didn’t confirm anything but left the door wide open.
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