This Marvel Comics storyline hints at a Fantastic Four vs X-Men’s clash in Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday is the upcoming superhero film, serving as a sequel to 2019's Endgame. It is the 39th film in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and it will be released on May 1, 2026. Joe and Anthony Russo are returning to the director's chair with this film.

The makers have revealed the film's star cast, including several actors from the franchise reprising their superhero characters. There is also a storyline hinting at a clash between X-Men and Fantastic Four, which might feature in the film. This has been hinted at by one of the actors. Let's take a deeper look at this.

Avengers: Doomsday might feature a storyline of X-Men vs Fantastic Four

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Alan Cumming is returning as the X-Men mutant Night Crawler in Avengers: Doomsday. He recently gave an interview to BuzzFeed UK, where he possibly hinted at a storyline of X-Men vs Fantastic Four that might feature in the film. He said:

"I'm playing Nightcrawler again now. I'm working, learning stunts yesterday for a fight scene. And I just think: I'm sixty years old! Twenty-three years ago, I played that superhero. I was kind of old for a superhero even then. And now, I'm back doing it. That to me, is hilarious. I'm learning these fights. I say: "Who am I fighting with?" And they say: "You're hitting Pedro Pascal against the head or something."

Interestingly, Pedro Pascal is playing Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, in the film and the forthcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. If we go by Cummings' words, these two superhero teams may go against each other. In the 1987 comic book series, Fantastic Four vs. The X-Men, both teams fight over Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat). It takes place after the storyline of the Mutant massacre.

The superheroes were against the Marauders, who were mercenaries. The X-Men angel suffered an injury, which was then used by Apocalypse to coerce him into a mission later on. Shadowcat lost her power to phase in the same battle. Right when X-Men asks Reed Richards to save them, Doctor Doom reveals that Reed was aware that the cosmic rays would turn them into mutant beings. But he didn't do anything about it. This puts the X-Men at loggerheads with the Fantastic Four. Meanwhile, Doom claims that he is the one who can help Kitty. Even Nightcrawler suffered an injury in this storyline. Avengers: Doomsday can touch upon this storyline.

More about Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday is written by Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron, while the Russos and Kevin Feige are the producers. At the 2024 Comic-Con, Robert Downey Jr. was revealed as Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom. In the previous phase of the MCU, he portrayed Tony Stark/Iron Man, who dies trying to stop Thanos in Endgame. Besides him, the film will also feature:

Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka Captain America
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man
Letitia Wright as Shuri, aka Black Panther
Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor
Wyatt Russell as John Walker aka U.S. Agent
Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor
Simu Liu as Xu Shang-Chi
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm aka The Thing
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, aka Professor X

Earlier, Anthony Russo spoke to Comicbook.com about how much the MCU has expanded since they left the franchise:

"Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue, but part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative. That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before]. We would like to bring the focused narrative back."