Marvel Studios is bringing back some of the most loved faces from the original X Men films, and even Robert Downey Jr. could not hide his excitement. During a special interview with Entertainment Weekly after Marvel’s Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic Con, Downey Jr. spoke about what it was like seeing Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer return to their iconic roles as Mystique and Beast in Avengers Doomsday. The actor, who is making a surprising return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom, said the reunion created a special atmosphere on set and made the entire cast feel like true fans again.
Speaking directly to Romijn and Grammer during the interview, Downey Jr. called their return a huge moment. He said everyone on set became excited the moment they arrived, including co stars Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Paul Rudd, Chris Evans, Letitia Wright and Pedro Pascal. While he did not reveal any details about the film’s closely guarded story, he said the presence of the original X Men stars brought a unique energy to the production. According to Downey Jr., having them on set made everyone feel like they were witnessing something truly special, especially because these actors helped build the superhero movie era long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe existed.
Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer last appeared together in major roles as Mystique and Beast in X Men The Last Stand, which was released in 2006. Since then, younger versions of the characters were played by Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult in later X Men films. However, Avengers Doomsday is bringing back the original cast instead. Patrick Stewart will once again play Professor X, Ian McKellen returns as Magneto, James Marsden is back as Cyclops and Alan Cumming will reprise his role as Nightcrawler. The reunion has already created huge excitement among Marvel fans, who have been waiting years to see the original mutant heroes together again.
Kelsey Grammer said returning as Beast after so many years felt very meaningful because he has always loved the character. He explained that Beast represents kindness, wisdom and respect for all life, values that continue to inspire audiences today. Rebecca Romijn also shared a funny behind the scenes detail about playing Mystique again. She revealed that modern makeup technology has made the transformation process much faster than it was during the original films. Looking back, she joked that spending hours in the makeup chair actually helped her get into the mindset of playing the fierce and angry mutant.
With Robert Downey Jr. stepping into the role of Doctor Doom and the original X Men cast returning to the big screen, Avengers Doomsday is shaping up to be one of Marvel’s biggest and most anticipated films. Fans will finally get to see this historic superhero crossover when the movie arrives in theatres on December 18, 2026.