Marvel’s X-Men reboot might be key to the recasting of the MCU‘s Iron Man and Captain America. Following the return of Fox’s X-Men in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios will introduce a brand-new cast in Jake Schreier’s upcoming X-Men. Marvel Studios’ new set of X-Men portrayals will likely have no connection to previous iterations of the mutant team.

Kevin Feige has also confirmed eventual reboots of Marvel characters as big as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Avengers: Secret Wars‘ multiversal plot will make reboots of individual characters, teams, and timelines easy to achieve. However, the X-Men’s first MCU movie may be just as important to help central figures like Iron Man and Captain America succeed in a renewed MCU.

Marvel Studios’ X-Men Reboot Could Flip The MCU’s Road To The X-Men

New Iron Man & Captain America Variants May Already Exist As Soon As The MCU’s X-Men

Avengers: Secret Wars gives Marvel the perfect opening for the introduction of brand-new Avengers portrayals. However, the debut of new Avengers portrayals could be difficult to assimilate so soon. Instead, Marvel might focus exclusively on following the new X-Men at the beginning of the Mutant Saga, with only a few scattered references to a new Iron Man and a new Steve Rogers.

Occasional nods to a living Tony Stark and a still-active Steve Rogers would only fuel speculation about their whereabouts, their new backstory, and most importantly, their casting. The X-Men and the Avengers may coexist in a post-Secret Wars MCU, but the franchise’s spotlight may be fixed on mutants. This provides Marvel with plenty of time to find new Avengers actors.

Essentially, Jake Schreier’s X-Men movie and other mutant-centered projects could slowly set up the introduction of rebooted Avengers. This is the same approach Marvel has used to build up the rebooted X-Men. Since Avengers: Age of Ultron all the way through Ms. Marvel and probably until Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU has been teasing the introduction of MCU-born mutants.

Robert Downey Jr. & Chris Evans Are Difficult But Not Impossible To Replace

Recasting Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America may sound like an impossible task. Both Marvel stars made their respective roles their own and left an indelible mark on Marvel’s movie history. Any actor willing to play the same roles in the future is facing a unique challenge.

That said, the introduction of a brand-new cast in Jake Schreier’s X-Men will set the precedent for new takes on beloved characters. At the same time, a slow but steady build-up towards rebooted Avengers heroes could replace fan hesitation with anticipation. The sheer curiosity of wondering what the new Iron Man and Captain America look like could be Marvel’s best asset.

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors

Upcoming Films

Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Blade (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars

Upcoming TV Shows

Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Wakanda, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest