Robert Downey Jr. has expressed enthusiasm for the return of the original X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, revealing that the presence of legacy cast members created a palpable energy on the set of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. The actor, who now plays the nefarious Victor Von Doom after his legendary run as Tony Stark, has ‘refused’ alongside his cast mates. Kelsey Grammer i Rebecca Romijn reprising their roles as Beast and Mystique, respectively. The reunion marks a significant moment for the franchise as it integrates characters from the Fox-era “X-Men” films into the larger MCU narrative for the first time.According to Entertainment Weekly, Robert Downey Jr. sat down for an interview afterward in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25 alongside the “Doomsday” cast, which includes Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Paul Rudd, Chris Evans, Letitia Wright and Pedro Pascal. During the conversation, Robert Downey Jr. reflected on the importance of bringing Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijn to the production.
Robert Downey Jr. and Avengers: Doomsday were baffled by the original return of the X-Men
Robert Downey Jr. described the moment he learned of the casting of Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijn. “It was a great moment, you and Kelsey being back together,” he told the actors, who played the blue-skinned mutant and blue-skinned shape-shifter in the original trilogy. “I have to say we got nervous.”
Robert Downey Jr. revealed that the cast was “nervous” when Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijn returned as Beast and Mystique for “Avengers: Doomsday.” Image Credit (Instagram)
The actor made it clear that his co-stars felt a real thrill to hear about the resurrection. Having the original mutants on set had a definite effect on the mood and atmosphere of the set.
Robert Downey Jr. Says Original ‘X-Men’ Cast Brought New Energy to ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Although Robert Downey Jr. declined to reveal any details about Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijn’s roles in the secret plot, he spoke excitedly about the creative energy their involvement generated. “His presence on the set lit up this constellation of emotion. It’s just amazing,” he said.The enthusiasm expressed by Robert Downey Jr. underscores the importance of bringing these legacy characters back into the MCU fold after decades of separation from the Avengers and other Marvel properties.
Kelsey Grammer Talks Returning As Beast In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Kelsey Grammer’s last substantial appearance as Beast came 20 years ago in 2006’s ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ the final film in the original trilogy. When asked how it felt to return to the blue character with a genius-level intellect, Grammer told Entertainment Weekly, “I love the character. I have this sense of this kind of nobility with him that he carries himself with, a deep respect for life.”
Rebecca Romijn Reveals Mystique’s Fastest Transformation for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Rebecca Romijn, who returned as the blue-skinned shapeshifter for the first time since 2011’s ‘X-Men: First Class,’ noted a significant practical change in how the character comes to life on set. “Apparently they were no longer interested in waiting for the actors to be processed, so it was much faster,” he said, referring to the extensive makeup application required for earlier appearances.
Rebecca Romijn shared that Mystique’s makeup process has been significantly simplified for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, recalling how the original transformation helped her embody the character. Image Credit (Instagram)
Despite the simplified transformation process, Rebecca Romijn recognized that the original makeup routine served an important creative purpose. “The original transformation that I went through for those first three X-Men movies was really essential to that character for me — it really put me in the right space to play a character as angry as Mystique,” he joked.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ reunites the original cast of ‘X-Men’ with the heroes of Marvel
The upcoming film brings together a constellation of characters from throughout the franchise’s history. Alongside Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijn, Patrick Stewart returns as Professor Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr, James Marsden as Scott Summers and Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner. The integration of these legacy performers represents a historic moment in the history of the MCU, finally reuniting characters that were separated for decades by competing studio ownership.‘Avengers: Doomsday’ opens in theaters on December 18, 2026.