After Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, I'm convinced that this Deadpool & Wolverine montage makes no sense

Avengers: Doomsday hasn't even arrived yet, and it has already dropped a couple of bombs. The film is supposed to mark Robert Downey Jr.'s re-introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — not as Iron Man but as the next big baddie, Victor Von Doom, following Jonathan Majors' departure as Kang was let go.

On top of that, the five-hour-long announcement also gave us an entire fleet of X-Men.

But wait, weren't they supposed to be a distant memory by now after what we saw in the Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) tribute credits? Because, as the credits rolled, from what I saw, it seemed like there was a behind-the-scenes montage of Fox's Marvel Universe before it was absorbed by Disney, and set to Green Day's Good Riddance, it was all but confirming that this was a goodbye.

If that was the case, then the Doomsday cast reveal shouldn't have changed anything. Because now it's the other way around, and we will see seven X-Men coming back in their MCU debut, whereas Wolverine and Deadpool have already done it in the 2024 movie.

Now X-Men's tribute isn't that meaningful as they become a part of Avengers: Doomsday

While Avengers: Doomsday (2026) or Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) could mark these actors' final appearances in the Marvel cinematic universe, their return effectively renders the Deadpool & Wolverine tribute credits far less meaningful. If Marvel truly intended to bid them farewell, the credits would have been more fitting in one of the upcoming Avengers films instead.

And I believe this is just the beginning, especially after Robert Downey Jr.'s recent Instagram comment that has only fueled my hope of seeing more of X-Men in the MCU releases. Sure, I know there are the upcoming Fantastic Four films too (I'll just pretend I didn't watch the 2015 film) but X-Men have a higher chance to make it, given the sheer number of characters.

The issue isn't whether we would like to see them reprising their roles — it is about whether bringing them back risks diminishing their legacy, which I can see potentially happening because it is quite hard to live up to this legacy that they have already established.

Take Wolverine, for example. When I watched Deadpool & Wolverine, he didn't quite feel the same to me, even though I knew he was a variant in the said film. I am more used to his 'I don't give a damn' attitude than a bub-ly one. And if he is a part of the Avengers: Doomsday roster, the original one would be a much better fit for the battle.

Patrick Stewart faces a bigger challenge, especially if Marvel keeps killing him off in the films. They've already done it three times now.

Now I am looking forward to the new X-Men as they will eventually be recast

Wolverine or Deadpool weren't on the initial roster. (Image via 20th Century Studios)

The thing is, the post-Multiverse Saga era, I believe, won't be heavily focused on on the Multiverse itself. Instead, I see it more as a theme — much like how the Infinity Saga revolved around the Infinity Stones. Back then, there weren't constant hints about the alternate universes. Furthermore, the Stones lost their value (in the MCU) after the saga ended. They were last seen sitting in the TVA, some of them even being used as paperweights.

Hence, in my opinion, post Avengers: Secret Wars, the focus is likely to shift from the idea of the multiverse to elsewhere, which will eventually help conclude the Multiverse Saga. Considering so, this might be the best and perhaps the last chance to see the classic X-Men in action as I don't expect Marvel to revisit the multiverse madness as often afterward. For me, it's either going to be the 2027 film or Avengers: Doomsday, where they bring back original mutants in action for the last time.

After that, I look forward to seeing who will be cast as the new X-Men. The Iron Claw's Harris Dickinson has already been eyed for Scott Summers, but there's still time. Since the upcoming, still-untitled X-Men film will be a part of the post-Multiverse Saga, we might get lucky with seeing more casting contenders emerge in the future.