Avengers: Doomsday is just around the corner, and the film that best sets up the upcoming crossover’s X-Men storyline was released in theaters three years ago. Doomsday will be the long-awaited crossover between the MCU’s Avengers and FOX’s X-Men, with the arrival of Doom kicking off a conflict between the two cinematic superhero icons.
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To some, the inclusion of FOX’s X-Men feels like a cheap way to get butts in seats, as many elements of Avengers: Doomsday were changed after the MCU pivoted away from Jonathan Majors’ Kang. However, the inclusion of the X-Men universe has been set up for a while now, as this underrated film proves.
The Marvels Hit Theaters 3 Years Ago Today, & It Perfectly Set Up Avengers: Doomsday
2018’s Captain Marvel was one of the biggest set-ups for Avengers: Endgame, as the titular superhero was the focus of Infinity War‘s post-credits scene. Because of this, it is incredibly surprising that the MCU has given Captain Marvel‘s sequel very little focus in the lead-up to Doomsday, as it introduces one of the crossover’s biggest storylines.
The Marvels hit theaters on November 10, 2023, with it being a team-up film that features Captain Marvel‘s Carol Danvers, WandaVision‘s Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel‘s Kamala Khan. Set in the aftermath of the Disney+ series Secret Invasion, The Marvels follows the trio of superheroes as they become entangled as a result of Kree leader Dar-Benn discovering one of the two Quantum Bands, the other of which is owned by Khan. The heroes, alongside Nick Fury and S.A.B.E.R., must investigate the anomaly, as it poses a multiversal risk.
Unfortunately, The Marvels wound up being one of the MCU’s biggest flops. The film made only $206.1 million against a budget of $374 million, despite getting better reviews than the Marvel movies that were released around that time. There has been tons of analysis as to why the movie flopped, with superhero fatigue being a popular theory. However, it could be that the MCU suffered significant brand damage from preceding films like Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It could also be due to The Marvels‘ reliance on storylines from the Disney+ TV shows, like WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, and Secret Invasion.
In the years since The Marvels‘ release, the film has mostly been overlooked. Marvel Studios fixed their act shortly after the movie’s release, and the guilt by association with this weaker era of the MCU has caused The Marvels to be lumped in with the lesser films. However, The Marvels is one of the most creatively directed, stylized, and fun Marvel movies of the past few years, in large part thanks to Nia DaCosta, who has directed great films like 2021’s Candyman and 2026’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Doomsday Shouldn’t Ignore The Marvels Just Because Of Its Poor Box Office
Since The Marvels is one of the lesser-known MCU projects, many fans of the franchise don’t know that it contains the biggest Avengers: Doomsday setup yet. At the end of The Marvels, Monica Rambeau becomes stuck on the other side of a multiversal rupture, with her fate remaining unknown. The post-credits scene reveals that she has been transported to another universe, one featuring a version of her mother, Maria, as the superhero Binary, as well as Kelsey Grammer’s Hank McCoy.
Initially, it was believed that this could be a setup for Deadpool & Wolverine. At the time, this was the only known MCU film that would include FOX’s X-Men. So, it was believed that she had been transported to this universe. However, Deadpool & Wolverine came and went with no mention of Monica or Beast. Then, when Avengers: Doomsday announced the inclusion of FOX’s iteration of the X-Men superheroes, including Grammer’s Beast, the future got a lot brighter for The Marvels.
With only one month until the release of Doomsday, however, there is no word regarding the return of Rambeau. It was believed that her presence in the X-Men universe could be what is causing the speculated incursion in Doomsday, as this would be a perfect explanation. However, it looks like Doomsday may be ignoring The Marvels entirely, which is a shame.
It is understandable that Marvel Studios would be hesitant to hinge their big crossover movie on one of their biggest box office bombs. However, for an interconnected universe, the MCU has done a pretty poor job of setting up Doomsday. Including one of the franchise’s only true setups in the form of Rambeau could fix this issue, although it may be deemed too much of a risk. The Marvels hasn’t been included on any of the official MCU road to Doomsday watchlists, meaning that instead of pushing viewers to check out the film, it looks like it will be left behind.
Do you think Avengers: Doomsday will reference The Marvels? Let us know your theories on the ComicBook Forum!
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