2026 marks two major anniversaries for the X-Men film franchise. The first is the 20th anniversary of X-Men: The Last Stand, which opened in theaters on May 26, 2006, and at the time set the record for the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening. It is also the 10th anniversary of X-Men: Apocalypse, which opened in theaters on May 27, 2016. Both X-Men films were the third entries in their respective trilogies, following one well-regarded first entry (X-Men/X-Men: First Class) that set the franchise up for a more successful and acclaimed second movie (X2: X-Men United/X-Men: Days of Future Past).
In the end, though, both The Last Stand and Apocalypse were major critical disappointments, which tarnished the brand. Like the unofficial Star Trek rule that the best films in the franchise were the even-numbered entries (until Star Trek: Nemesis), the X-Men movies released in years ending in six have a bad track record. This certainly is not a good sign for Avengers: Doomsday, which is set for release on Dec. 18, 2026, and will feature the X-Men. Will the upcoming MCU crossover befall a similar fate, or can it break the cycle?
The Troubled History Behind ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ and ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’
X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse were both highly anticipated third films in their respective eras of the franchise, following the critical acclaim and strong box-office returns of their predecessors. Each film seemed like it would be the biggest entry, bringing in many beloved characters and storylines from the comics. While X-Men: The Last Stand was considered a box office hit, both films ultimately disappointed audiences. Both were saved from being the worst films in their respective eras only by their follow-ups, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
However, the wheels came off rather quickly, as The Last Stand and Apocalypse had troubled behind-the-scenes productions. After Bryan Singer dropped out of directing X-Men: The Last Stand in favor of Superman Returns, 20th Century Fox set a May 2006 release date for the third X-Men film before a director was attached. Matthew Vaughn was going to direct and cast actors like Kelsey Grammer, Dania Ramirez, and Vinnie Jones. Vaughn dropped out three months before filming began after a dispute with Fox over the studio’s attempt to trick Halle Berry into returning as Storm by sending fake script pages to expand her role. Vaughn was replaced by Brett Ratner, who, like Singer, has faced multiple sexual assault allegations.
During the production of Apocalypse, Singer (who returned with Days of Future Past) was absent for 10 days of filming, forcing writer Simon Kinberg to take over. While Singer said it was due to a thyroid issue, the director had a history of disappearing from sets and erratic behavior. Olivia Munn, who played Psylocke in Apocalypse, spoke about Singer’s unprofessional behavior. While never confirmed, it is widely rumored that actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender returned to the franchise to work on Dark Phoenix only because of Singer’s departure.
In contrast, Avengers: Doomsday has had a smooth production. Even though Marvel Studios had to scrap its original plans for The Kang Dynasty and pivot to a new Doctor Doom-centric storyline, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, along with writer Stephen McFeely, were attached to the film during its redevelopmentin 2024, a year before filming began. While there have been rumors that the script for Avengers: Doomsday wasn’t finished, there is no official report.
Have the 20th Century Fox X-Men Overstayed Their Welcome?
Avengers: Doomsday is a legacy sequel for The Avengers film, the first in seven years following Avengers: Endgame. It’s also a stealth legacy sequel to the X-Men film franchise, which also concluded in 2019 with Dark Phoenix (not counting the largely disconnected New Mutants, which had a COVID-19 release in 2020). This puts more pressure on Avengers: Doomsday.
Not only is it part one of the conclusion to The Multiverse Saga, but it’s also another (hopefully final) attempt to say goodbye to the 20th Century Fox era of the X-Men. The Last Stand and Apocalypse were intended as the concluding chapters of their respective trilogies. But Avengers: Doomsday is, intentionally or not, selling itself as the final film in the X-Men film saga, similar to how Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker tried to conclude a trilogy of trilogies. However, no one wants to be compared to The Rise of Skywalker.
Marvel Studios is clearly trying not to repeat past mistakes in Avengers: Doomsday. Even the X-Men Angel, whose only on-screen appearances were in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse (played by Ben Foster and Ben Hardy), is not in the film. This is not a dig at Angel. It’s funny, though, to think that Marvel Studios is not concerned about the fact that the new movie is coming out in a year that ends in a six, but about the character Angel.
However, Avengers: Doomsday does have a problem: the novelty of the X-Men’s return has been done too many times. The grand return of the classic X-Men to cinemas came 12 years ago in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The MCU’s Deadpool & Wolverine also paid a loving tribute to the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel films during the credits, set to Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” which was already a perfect note to end on. Between X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan, Dark Phoenix, Deadpool & Wolverine, the Fox era of X-Men movies has taken its curtain call so often that it has lost much of its impact.
Will 2026 Be the Year of X-Men?
Despite the negativity, 2026 actually might be the year of the X-Men. Before the team appears in Avengers: Doomsday, the X-Men will be given multiple projects. The first is X-Men ’97 Season 2, which is expected to air in summer 2026. Given how excellent X-Men ’97 Season 1 was, hopes are high for Season 2. Then, in September, Insomniac will release Marvel’s Wolverine. The video game will be connected to the popular Spider-Man video game series and will deliver the R-rated action audiences love about the character. Then there are the rumors that Sadie Sink is playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Marvel is clearly pushing for the X-Men to have a big presence in 2026.
The fact that X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse were widely disliked entries in the X-Men franchise and were released in years ending in six is nothing more than a coincidence. Many factors led to their poor reception. But since both films are celebrating anniversaries in 2026, that puts added pressure on Avengers: Doomsday. Not only does the movie need to be a rebound at the box office for the MCU after a series of disappointments, but it needs to break an unofficial X-Men curse. From the looks of it, Marvel is more than prepared to make sure the X-Men have a better 2026 than they did in 2016 or 2006.
