Content Warning: Some minor spoilers for “Deadpool and Wolverine” and “X-Men ’97”

Like a lot of people who consume entertainment news and media, I like to waltz around with a false sense of superiority and pretend I have better taste than other people because I dislike certain popular movie franchises, namely the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ve written a few blog posts that mention my less-than-positive feelings towards these movies, but I’ll sum it up like this: I don’t like movies or shows that are constantly “quipping” at me, as if afraid at any moment they’ll lose my attention. Marvel movies are like “Cocomelon” for grown-ups. These movies are loud and overstimulating and crammed full of interesting characters that regrettably get about 20 seconds of dialogue per movie because they’re so packed.

So anyway, I was more than content to mindlessly dislike Marvel when something miraculous happened: “X-Men ’97” debuted in March 2024 and turned my mind to lovesick mush. Oh yeah, something I forgot to mention is that once upon a time, this girl was a massive X-Men fan who had an unhealthy obsession with Rogue and Gambit (and Nightcrawler and Mystique and that entire dysfunctional family). I’d watched all of “X-Men: The Animated Series,” “X-Men Evolution,” and all of the movies, as well as a few other X-Men shows, because why not? It wasn’t like I had a social life to get in the way of all my X-Men consuming.

In “X-Men ’97,” there is a pivotal episode in the middle of the season that made several bold character choices, which, at the time, I found devastating and moving enough to awaken a long-dormant hyperfixation. Months later, I can think about that episode and not cry, but the intensity of my love is still there. This love is what led to me almost having an aneurysm at the “Deadpool and Wolverine” showing and Channing Tatum‘s Gambit sauntered onscreen.

Y’all, I had waited years for the Channing Tatum Gambit movie and had completely given up hope. Seeing him on screen in his ridiculous costume, chewing on that obscene Cajun accent, was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I remember throwing my back against my chair and slapping my armrest as I processed my shock and delight. Tatum’s presence could not have made me happier if he had opened his coat and revealed he was made out of the missing third season of “People of Earth.” His role in “Deadpool & Wolverine” renewed my hope for possible future X-Men movies that weren’t all about Jean Grey and the Phoenix saga.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” ended with a thoughtful tribute to X-Men’s duration at 20th Century Fox, as Disney did not own the rights to the X-Men until after it acquired Fox, much like a cuttlefish acquires every crab it can stuff into its maw. Now that Disney owns the rights to the X-Men franchise, that means… something. I really don’t know, if I’m being honest, because I have little faith in Disney and its ability to create meaningful art. Disney is, above all, motivated by profit, and many of the creative decisions in movies under the Disney label have a few things in common: a tendency to over-rely on intertextuality and nostalgia, as opposed to the riskier alternative of writing newer, possibly unpopular stories that don’t land with the majority of their audiences, as well as banking on expensive special effects and star power to distract audiences from the hollowness of their stories.

Then there was the minor controversy (at least among comic book fans) about the 2026 “Avengers: Doomsday” film. Namely, that Robert Downey Jr., who previously dominated the role “Tony Stark,” would now be re-appearing as Doctor Doom, the famous Marvel supervillain and adversary to the Fantastic Four. Now, before I continue, I should mention that I’m not a big Fantastic Four fan. Not because I dislike the franchise, but really because there was only room in my heart for the X-Men. I ignored pretty much every non-X-Men character, even Spiderman, because they had all of my attention. But when I heard of Downey Jr.’s casting, my long-held feelings of cynicism towards Disney felt even more justified, as it seemed obvious to me that this casting choice was motivated purely by the desire to bank on audiences’ familiarity with the actor rather than try to cast someone more appropriate in the role.

And to be clear, something that I learned about the Doctor Doom role was that it should most likely be played by an actor of Romani descent, as Victor von Doom is Romani. His background as a Romani man informs much of his character and his motivations, and I don’t think that should be ignored. (Also, yes, I do know that there have been some instances of Doctor Doom and Iron Man crossing over in the comics, so I know that is a possible story Marvel is pursuing)

With that knowledge, I had no immediate plans to watch “Avengers: Doomsday,” unless I had maybe been poisoned, and the only antidote was sitting through two hours of famous actors bantering with each other in front of a green screen. My feelings only changed when I watched this satirical video from “Man Carrying Thing,” about the most recent Marvel announcement, which led to me actually watching the referenced Marvel announcement.

For those who do not feel like watching this entire corny announcement, the camera follows a series of chairs for all of the actors in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” film, revealing a whopping 27 actors for the upcoming film.

All the characters in Avengers: Doomsday SO FAR
byu/jf_god inmarvelstudios

I was poised not to care, until I saw “Patrick Stewart,” and “Ian McKellan” next to each other (who I always thought were excellent in their respective roles as Professor X and Magneto). Then the damn camera had to roll past the chair for Channing Tatum, and I felt my stupid, traitorous heart skip a beat as I realized my beloved would be in another movie.

(To clarify, Gambit is my beloved, and I think Channing Tatum is fine)

And not just Gambit, but so many other talented actors would return to reprise their roles! Kelsey Grammer was fantastic as Beast, and Alan Cumming brought so much charm and sweetness to his portrayal of Nightcrawler. As a fan of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” I love Rebecca Romjin‘s portrayal of “Number One,” and am thrilled she’ll be returning to this world (hopefully as Mystique because she owned that role). Poor James Marsden did his best with the role of Cyclops, but at the time, the studios seemed determined to sideline and even mock the character, so I’m really hopeful he’ll have a chance to bring new life to the character in this movie.

That is, of course, assuming that all of these actors are coming back to play their X-Men characters. I will be livid if I spend money to watch this movie and they pull a stupid “Wandavision”/Ralph Bohner on me. If I’m in the theater and learn all of these actors are cast as something like a traveling theatre group performing a dramatic reenactment of the first “Avengers” movie, I’m going to spit.

At the moment, that reality seems unlikely, as Kelsey Grammer has already made an appearance in the end credits of “The Marvels” as Beast, indicating that the X-Men are coming to the MCU. If this is the case, then Marvel can expect to collect my middling paychecks.

I should mention that I still have my doubts about this movie. As I mentioned before, 27 actors are a lot of people to fill a screen, and it’s entirely possible more iconic characters from Marvel comics will make an appearance in this movie, especially if that is what Disney is banking on to get people into seats. It will be a challenge to treat each of those characters with the respect and care that they deserve. It’ll take a Herculean effort to give equal screen time to all of those actors and further the story. I don’t envy the writers who have to figure out how to make so many complex elements fit neatly. Seriously – good luck to them.

If the combination of two hundred thousand actors, writers, directors, and underpaid special effects artists do come together to make a good movie, then that’s fabulous. I would be more than happy with another good movie featuring my dear Gambit. My only request is the producers find a way to bring the supremely talented Anna Paquin back as Rogue because the combined presence of those characters on screen will be enough to emotionally sustain me through the rest of this terrible decade.