How Much of the Fox X-Men Should You Watch Before Doomsday?
Last updated 2026-11-02
One of the biggest talking points of Doomsday is the return of the actors from Fox's X-Men films of the 2000s. The Fox X-Men series has more than ten films with a complicated timeline. Here we sort out what to watch to understand the stories of the actors who are coming back.
The classic X-Men who return (confirmed)
- Professor X (Patrick Stewart)
- Magneto (Ian McKellen)
- Cyclops (James Marsden)
- Mystique (Rebecca Romijn)
- Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming)
- Beast (Kelsey Grammer)
- Gambit (Channing Tatum)
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has not been officially announced.
The short answer: six films
Must-watch (importance 5 or higher)
- X-Men (2000, importance 8): Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops and Mystique all appear. The origin of Xavier and Magneto as friends who are also enemies.
- X2 (2003, importance 9): Nightcrawler debuts, and all five confirmed classic X-Men appear together.
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, importance 6): Kelsey Grammer's Beast debuts. The end of the original trilogy.
- X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014, importance 6): The sad ending of the original trilogy is rewritten, and Beast and Cyclops appear at the end.
- X-Men: Apocalypse (2016, importance 6): Continues the newly rewritten history as the young X-Men assemble.
- Dark Phoenix (2019, importance 6): The finale of that story, as Jean is consumed by a cosmic force.
If you have time (importance 4)
- Logan (2017): The last chapter of Jackman's Wolverine. Wolverine's appearance is still only a rumor.
X-Men moments on the MCU side
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Patrick Stewart appears as Professor X from another universe.
- The mid-credits scene of The Marvels: Kelsey Grammer's Beast appears. The moment the classic X-Men world began to connect with the MCU.
- Deadpool & Wolverine: The Fox world joins the MCU multiverse, and Gambit makes his debut.
How do Cyclops and Professor X come back?
Cyclops and Professor X die in X-Men: The Last Stand. History is then rewritten in Days of Future Past, which ends with Cyclops alive again.
In an August 2025 interview, Cyclops actor James Marsden joked: "I'm dead. Well, maybe not." Which point in time his Cyclops comes from has not been officially revealed.
In memory of Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart, who played Professor X (Charles Xavier) in the X-Men films, died on October 28, 2026, at the age of 86 (his family cited Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia). His return as Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday is reported to be his final screen role. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
In memory of Eric Dane
Eric Dane, who played the mutant Multiple Man in X-Men: The Last Stand, died of complications from ALS on February 19, 2026, at the age of 53. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Our guess: do the X-Men come from the world of Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix?
This section is the site owner's own guess, not an official announcement.
We think the X-Men who appear in Doomsday probably come from the world of X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. History is rewritten at the end of Days of Future Past, and these two films tell what happens next in that new history.
Keep in mind that the younger cast, including James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, plays these roles in those two films, while the confirmed Doomsday cast are the actors from the original trilogy. We will not know which point in time they come from until the film opens. If you want to enjoy the theory, these two films are worth watching too.
What about First Class?
First Class, the first film with the younger cast, is not included in this guide. If you are short on time, starting from Days of Future Past, which features both generations, keeps the story connected.