Xavier and Magneto play chess in latest Avengers: Doomsday teaser

“Death comes for us all. That’s all I know for sure,” says McKellen in a voice-over as chess pieces move over a board telekinetically. “The question isn’t, ‘Are you prepared to die?’ The question is, ‘Who will you be when you close your eyes?'” Careful, fellas—you’ll break the Seventh Seal. 

We’ve known at least since the infamous chair reveal that McKellen and Stewart would return for Avengers: Doomsday, but this is the first visual proof we’ve had that these two pre-MCU franchise stars are back in the blue void for the next film. James Marsden as Cyclops also gets a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance at the end of the clip. He was also confirmed at the chair announcement last March. “I’ve spent 20 years listening to people say, ‘When are you coming back? When are you coming back? Are you coming back?’” the actor told Vanity Fair last August. “I’m dead. Well, maybe not. I’m going to have a tough time struggling to get into costume if they waited a couple more years… it’s been a blast.” 

Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on December 16, 2026.

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