Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel Studios has reportedly set a new team to replace the Avengers moving forward.
At the end of the year, Marvel Studios will officially commence its soft reset of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When the Disney-owned studio pivoted to Avengers: Doomsday (2026) from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, it confirmed that Victor Von Doom, AKA Doctor Doom, would be making his MCU debut. The villain, played by Iron Man veteran Robert Downey Jr., will factor as the main antagonist in the upcoming movie.
The ensemble is already massive for Avengers: Doomsday, with legacy characters joining more recent additions for one of the largest movies Marvel Studios has ever made. The movie will lead into next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), which is thought to be the official end of the current Phase Six. This trajectory, teamed with reports that the Avengers two-parter will serve as a swan song for multiple tenured characters, lends itself to the narrative that Phase Seven will usher in a new era for the billion-dollar franchise.
That new era will follow the beloved X-Men. Already known in live-action and animated media, as well as the comic books that originated them, the X-Men are widely known by Marvel fans, so a lot is riding on their official entry into the MCU. Of course, Doomsday will feature some 20th Century Studios characters like Patrick Stewart’s Professor Charles Xavier/Professor X and James Marsden’s Scott Summers/Cyclops, but audiences have longed for a new X-Men era ever since The Walt Disney Company acquired 20th Century in 2019.
Marvel has not revealed what movies will be included in its upcoming Phases, but it has been confirmed that Jake Schreier–director of 2025’s Thunderbolts*–will helm the first X-Men movie. The biggest question remains, though: What characters will Marvel Studios focus on when bringing the famed mutants into the MCU for the first time?
Well, a new report from The Cosmic Circus shares that Marvel may choose the X-Men franchise’s first-ever team to lead the squad into the MCU. When asked about news regarding the X-Men movie, Alex Perez from the outlet explained that things may be starting out very small.
“A couple of details, but mainly they want a cast that can grow over several years and serve as a coming-of-age story,” he shared. “The rumor that they want the original 5 X-Men as core members is true. But it isn’t anything even remotely close to a lineup as big as X-Men ’97. I think it’s the core 5 with 3 more. And they are not including Logan in this lineup.”
The reboot will reportedly center on a coming-of-age narrative, following a younger group of mutants as they learn to understand their powers and their place in the world. It’s a notable shift in tone, especially when compared to the high-stakes, Multiversal chaos that has defined much of the recent MCU.
At the heart of the film is a rumored lineup that will feel familiar to longtime fans of X-Men lore. The story is expected to revolve around the original five members: Cyclops, Jean Grey (also known as Marvel Girl), Beast, Angel, and Iceman. While a handful of additional mutants may round out the roster, the focus appears to be on keeping the team tight-knit rather than overwhelming audiences with too many characters at once.
Interestingly, one of the most iconic mutants of all is expected to sit this one out—at least initially. With Wolverine rumored to be absent from the first film, the move could help the franchise avoid leaning too heavily on a character who has long dominated the X-Men spotlight. Instead, Marvel seems intent on giving other heroes room to shine before eventually introducing Logan at a later stage.
The studio may also be planning a gradual rollout for these characters. There’s speculation that Sadie Sink is playing Jean Grey in this July’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), signaling a broader strategy of weaving mutants into the universe over time rather than introducing them all at once.
Beyond the X-Men themselves, the ripple effects of this reboot could extend to the wider MCU—particularly the future of the Avengers. With Avengers: Secret Wars looming on the horizon, Marvel is reportedly reconsidering how its flagship team operates moving forward. Rather than continuing to rely solely on massive crossover events, the studio may shift toward building new central pillars—like the X-Men—to carry the franchise into its next era.
If these rumors hold true, the X-Men reboot won’t just be another superhero movie. It could mark a significant turning point for Marvel Studios, one that prioritizes long-term storytelling, character growth, and a more focused team dynamic. For fans, it’s an intriguing prospect. After years of anticipation, the arrival of the X-Men in the MCU looks set to be a slow burn—but one that could ultimately redefine the future of the franchise.
How do you feel about this team of X-Men leading the new era of the MCU? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
