Avengers: Doomsday has commenced filming in the UK, and new images emerging from the production offer the first looks at some of the film’s star-studded cast. In addition to several MCU mainstays, like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, and Paul Rudd, the upcoming Avengers installment shockingly revealed that many X-Men actors would be joining the MCU proper, 25 years after their franchise began.

Among these are James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Ian McKellen as Erik Lensherr/Magneto, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkholme/Mystique, and Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler. Channing Tatum will also appear as Gambit, though he did not originate this role in the original X-Men trilogy like the other actors did.

Avengers: Doomsday‘s official start date for production was March 26, 2025. Since then, Cumming revealed he would arrive on set to film last week. Between his comments and newly emerging set photos, it appears the X-Men cast are all assembling to complete their scenes.

User @BuiltFromSmash shared an image of Marsden alongside Doctor Strange star Benedict Wong. In the image, Marsden is dressed casually instead of in a superhero costume, and he is not wearing Cyclops’ signature red lens sunglasses (or his visor) to contain his powers. The poster captioned the image: “James Marsden and Benedict Wong spotted together on what appears to be the set of Avengers: Doomsday!! Is Wong trying to recruit Cyclops into the Avengers to fight Doom?”

On another thread, the user shared an additional photo that reunited Marsden with his onscreen foe, McKellen’s Magneto. He is wearing the same casual clothes as in the other image; however, he does appear to be wearing sunglasses similar to the Oakleys he wore in the original X-Men films when not in a battle setting. McKellen is dressed in an outfit more similar to his older Magneto costumes, with a black two-piece outfit and a purple cape. Notably, he is not wearing the villain’s iconic helmet.

Alongside this second photo, @BuiltFrom Smash wrote: “First Look of James Marsden and Ian McKellen in suit has leaked, on what appears to be the set of⁠ ⁠[Avengers: Doomsday]!! Will [Cyclops] and [Magneto] team up?The latest rumors say that the [Brotherhood Of Mutants] and the [X-Men] will unite to face the [Avengers]!

What The Avengers: Doomsday Set Photos Reveal About The X-Men’s Role In The Film

Though the Avengers: Doomsday set images don’t reveal much regarding the film, they do set up a few key elements regarding the integration of the X-Men characters into the MCU. For starters, the first photo indicates that Scott will potentially be sharing a scene with Wong, who is likely still the current Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616. Interestingly, Wong’s actor was not on the original Avengers: Doomsday cast list, hinting there may be more surprise casting news to come. As noted in the photo’s caption, Wong could be attempting to recruit the X-Men as part of their team against Doctor Doom.

Alternatively, this could set up an altercation between the Avengers and the X-Men. The second photo shows that Magneto will also be present for this sequence, and given that Marsden is in the same clothing, this could all be part of a scene where the two teams either side together or become adversaries. Previously, Magneto and the X-Men forged a temporary alliance in X2, so the possibility has precedence in the franchise.

Aside from potential plot details based on who is interacting, the costuming may hint at how Scott enters the story. He is in his civilian clothes and glasses, so it’s likely he and perhaps some of the other X-Men were pulled into conflict unexpectedly. Magneto, on the other hand, is dressed in his usual more flamboyant style, though the absence of his helmet is unusual. As it is used to deflect Charles’ psychic abilities, this may be a further hint that Magneto is allied with the X-Men and has no current need for the helmet.

Our Take On The Avengers: Doomsday Set Photos

Few explicit details regarding the plot of Avengers: Doomsday and how the X-Men factor in are known. However, the film kicks off the two-part conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, which will be concluded with Avengers: Secret Wars. Both films will share the same villain, Doctor Doom, as he threatens the fabric of reality across multiple universes. It is also likely that they will see Doctor Doom create the MCU’s iteration of Battleworld, stitched together from destroyed universes, where characters are locked in a constant state of war. Many speculate this may be the fate of the original X-Men film universe.

Regardless of how they enter the story, bringing back the original X-Men cast for Avengers: Doomsday is a fun way to utilize the film’s multiversal storyline. Featuring the older franchise as an alternate timeline allows for stars like Marsden and McKellen to reprise their roles in a way that serves the plot, similar to how Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire were utilized in Spider-Man: No Way Home.