Doomsday’s X-Men Lineup Is Missing A Crucial Part Of The Team

December 6, 2025

7

The X-Men roster for Avengers: Doomsday includes many familiar characters, but it’s missing a few mutants who are essential parts of the team’s chemistry. The upcoming Avengers film is a massive crossover of the Marvel multiverse. The Avengers and Thunderbolts* are joining forces with the X-Men and Fantastic Four to combat Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom.

While much of the cast has been announced, Disney recently confirmed the film’s X-Men lineup at an event in Italy. The team includes Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, James Marsden’s Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique, Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit.

It’s thrilling to see Fox’s X-Men universe merging with the MCU, along with Tatum’s Gambit, who is officially joining the X-Men after finally portraying the character in Deadpool & Wolverine. However, a few notable mutants are missing from this squad, omitting key relationships that are crucial to the X-Men’s emotional impact.

Avengers: Doomsday’s X-Men Roster Doesn’t Include Any Couples

James Marsden's Cyclops and Famke Janssen's Jean Grey hold hands and look at each other in X-Men: The Last Stand — James Marsden’s Cyclops and Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey hold hands and look at each other in X-Men: The Last Stand

While the X-Men’s battles against humanity and villains like Apocalypse are captivating, their dynamic as a team is their greatest strength. Each character has their own unique traits and morals, and their evolving relationships often create more intriguing drama than the intimidating threat that brings them together.

Some of the best relationships are the more intimate ones, such as Jean Grey and Cyclops, or Gambit and Rogue. Jean and Scott Summers are often considered the team’s power couple, while Rogue and Gambit had a more on-and-off relationship before recently committing to each other in the comics.

While Scott and Gambit are fighting alongside the Avengers in Doomsday, Jean and Rogue are not joining the fun. It’s disappointing that both these mutant icons are absent, as both are exceptional heroes, but it’s also saddening to see that there are no romantic relationships within this X-Men crew, especially since Gambit is in the lineup.

X-Men ’97 Proved Romance Can Heighten The Emotional Stakes

Gambit and Rogue fighting together in X-Men '97 episode 5 — Gambit and Rogue fighting together in X-Men ’97 episode 5

Scott and Jean have been portrayed in live-action a few times together, but Gambit and Rogue have never been in a major film together. Anna Paquin’s Rogue was instead paired with Iceman in the first trilogy, and Gambit hasn’t been part of the X-Men in his two film appearances.

However, X-Men ’97 demonstrated how including romantic relationships can strengthen the emotional weight of many scenes. For example, Gambit’s death was made more powerful by Rogue’s heartbreaking reaction and vengeful response. It was already a huge loss for the X-Men, but Rogue’s grief made the incident even more tragic.

The animated series also showed the strength of Jean and Scott’s relationship through its Goblin Queen storyline. Cyclops’ relationship with Madeline Pryor tested their relationship, and led to Scott becoming a more angered and conflicted leader. It disrupted the team’s dynamic, but also led to more engaging character moments.

While Avengers: Doomsday likely won’t have time to focus on building romantic relationships, having more intimate connections would make the battles more emotionally engaging. Fortunately, the entire cast hasn’t been revealed yet, so it’s possible Rogue and Jean could still be part of the crew.