Kevin Feige Felt Bringing X-Men Into ‘Avengers’ Franchise Was “Fun Way” To Celebrate 25 Years

As Avengers: Doomsday assembles into theaters next month, Kevin Feige is celebrating more than 25 years of Marvel‘s cinematic journey.

The Marvel Studios president, who was also an associate producer on 2000’s X-Men, recently explained that it “just felt right” to bring the mutant superherhoes of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters into the MCU with Avengers: Doomsday, which premieres Dec. 18 in theaters.

“You see interviews of Hugh Jackman 15, 20 years ago saying, ‘People say it’s impossible, but maybe someday the X-Men and the Avengers can all get together.’ It just felt right,” explained Feige to Empire. “It just felt like the fun way to culminate a quarter-century of storytelling.”

Directed by the Russo brothers, Avengers: Doomsday sees the multiverse collapse, forcing heroes from multiple Earths to unite against Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr), including the stars of the original live-action X-Men franchise.

The late Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), James Marsden (Cyclops), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Kelsey Grammer (Beast) all signed on to reprise their roles in Avengers: Doomsday last year.

Meanwhile, Christopher Abbott (Charles Xavier/Professor X), Adam Driver (Nathaniel Millbury/Mister Sinister) Inde Navarrette (Rogue), Maya Boyd (Storm), Kit Connor (Cyclops), Sadie Sink (Jean Grey), Samara Weaving (Emma Frost) and Asa Germann (Angel) are taking over their roles for the MCU’s new generation of mutants in Jake Schreier’s X-Men, which is scheduled to premiere on May 5, 2028.