Kevin Feige confirms X-Men MCU entry after Doomsday and Secret Wars, reveals character designs at Bilibili World

Kevin Feige took the UP Main Stage at Bilibili World on July 11 to map out Marvel's next moves through the Avengers cycle and beyond.

Here's the order: Avengers: Doomsday hits North America on December 18, South Korea in December, then Avengers: Secret Wars, then the X-Men arrive in the MCU. "X-Men will soon join the MCU, and within it you will meet truly diverse and attractive heroes," Feige said. He connected it to his own past with the property: "A very long time ago I started the X-Men project for the first time, and I am finally excited to be able to bring this new version to the MCU."

Feige unveiled character designs for everyone coming after Doomsday. Cyclops, already visible in the Doomsday trailer, led the X-Men figures shown in the concept art.

On Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom—the casting that's consumed MCU discourse—Feige didn't hedge: "Doctor Doom is a very important character in the Marvel universe. I was confident that an actor who played the greatest hero could also perfectly portray the greatest villain, so I asked him directly, and he gladly accepted."

Feig framed the whole arc around what he called Marvel's "strange alchemy": assembling heroes who shouldn't work together, then having them team up to save the world. (The X-Men twist reshapes an idea that's been core since 2012.)