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For years, one of the most enduring comic book titles has been X-Men. Even before the MCU made superhero movies the huge pop culture tentpole it is today, Fox’s X-Men films proved that there was an appetite for Marvel’s mutant team at the cinema. According to Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, the X-Men are a key to how the MCU can connect to younger fans who might not even have been born when Iron Man first launched the franchise.

“You look at what the X-Men comics have always been,” Kevin Feige told reporters in a recent talk at the Disney studio lot. “And they have been young, and they have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different, and who feel other, and who feel like they don’t belong. That’s the universal story of mutants.”

That is likely why Kevin Feige has seemed so eager to introduce the X-Men into the MCU since Disney acquired Fox and opened the door to their inclusion. There is a timelessness to X-Men stories, which usually include themes of racism and discrimination that seem relevant no matter what generation is reading them.

While we’ve seen smatterings of X-Men in the MCU up to this point, Avengers: Doomsday represents the first time the characters will be used to full effect in the main MCU continuity. Multiple members of Fox’s X-Men cast, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, and Rebecca Romijn, will star alongside Anthony Mackie, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey Jr., making this feel like the real introduction of the iconic mutant team to Marvel Studios’ sprawling universe. 

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters