Get ready to have your mind blown: Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday might just be the most pivotal movie in Phase 5, and it’s all because of a seemingly unrelated box office flop. Yes, you read that right—a $206 million 'failure' is now the linchpin of the MCU’s future. But how did we get here? Let’s dive in.
The trailers for Avengers: Doomsday are pulling out all the stops, teasing the biggest crossover event in Marvel’s cinematic history. Think Avengers vs. X-Men, multiverse-shattering stakes, and the return of fan-favorite characters like Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. With new costumes for Thor, Shuri, and Namor, plus hints of universal destruction, the hype is real. And let’s not forget the weekly trailer drops, each one building on the success of Avatar: Fire & Ash to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
But here’s where it gets controversial: the most jaw-dropping teaser is undoubtedly the X-Men’s Doomsday trailer, featuring Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, and James Marsden’s Cyclops. While it’s thrilling to see these icons reunited, the tone is anything but optimistic. Professor X and Magneto discuss death, and Cyclops looks utterly devastated—possibly foreshadowing the tragic return of Jean Grey’s demise. All of this sets the stage for Avengers: Secret Wars, but the question remains: why are the X-Men front and center?
To understand this, we need to rewind to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where Marvel finally laid the groundwork for why universes collide. When Doctor Strange encountered the Illuminati, he learned that crossing dimensions leaves a 'footprint,' increasing the risk of an incursion—a catastrophic event where two universes collide, destroying one or both. Sound familiar? That’s because incursions were the driving force behind the 2015 Secret Wars comic event. So, Avengers: Doomsday isn’t just a setup for Secret Wars; it’s a direct prelude to an incursion in the MCU. And the focus on the X-Men’s reality suggests their universe is the one on a collision course with the MCU. But why now?
And this is the part most people miss: the answer lies in The Marvels, the 2023 Captain Marvel sequel that bombed at the box office. Despite grossing just $206.1 million against a $374 million budget, The Marvels holds a crucial secret. Its post-credits scene reveals that Teyonah Parris’ Photon is blasted into an X-Men dimension, where she’s treated by Kelsey Grammer’s Beast—a character from the original Fox X-Men timeline. With no way home, Photon’s prolonged stay in this universe increases the likelihood of an incursion between the X-Men reality and the MCU. In other words, The Marvels isn’t just a flop; it’s a prologue to Avengers: Doomsday.
This is where the shared universe shines—and sometimes stumbles. Every detail matters, even in a movie that underperformed. The X-Men’s Doomsday teaser makes perfect sense in this context: two realities are on a collision course, and both could be destroyed. It’s a bold narrative move, but it raises questions. Is Marvel overloading its storytelling? Or is this the genius of a long-term plan?
Here’s the controversial take: The Marvels might have been a financial disappointment, but its impact on the MCU is undeniable. Without it, the stakes of Avengers: Doomsday wouldn’t feel as urgent. But does that justify its existence? Or is Marvel relying too heavily on post-credits scenes to connect the dots?
What do you think? Is The Marvels a hidden gem or a missed opportunity? And are you excited for the Avengers-X-Men showdown in Doomsday? Let’s debate it in the comments below and keep the conversation going in the ComicBook Forum!
