Do The X-Men Exist In The Avengers Universe After Doctor Strange 2?

Warning: Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness lead to the question of whether the X-Men exist in the Avengers universe after Doctor Strange 2. The MCU's multiverse has opened the door for almost anything to happen in the upcoming movies and TV shows. But even before that, Disney's acquisition of then-21st Century Fox started the speculation mill churning, with audiences wondering how Marvel would introduce Fantastic Four and X-Men into the MCU.

Now that the multiverse has been cracked wide-open, there are dozens of ways for those characters to reasonably be introduced, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness started the ball rolling on it. During the Illuminati scene, John Krasinski's Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic was introduced. Reed Richards is a newcomer and does not appear to be part of the Avengers universe. But Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Charles Xavier/Professor X, and his exact identity gets a little murkier.

He seems to know an awful lot more about the MCU's Doctor Strange and what's going on than the rest of his Illuminati colleagues. Nothing that Strange says even seems to surprise him. There's a calmness to Doctor Strange 2's Professor X that seems to hint at a degree of familiarity with the sorcerer's world, which might suggest that he, and the X-Men by extension, are part of the same Avengers universe as Doctor Strange. However, a closer look at Professor X confirms that he and the X-Men do not exist in the Avengers' world–and neither is he the version of Professor X that audiences know.

Is Doctor Strange's Professor X From The X-Men Movies?

It's reasonable to believe that the Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the same Professor X from Fox's X-Men movies. However, judging from his looks, the Charles Xavier depicted in Doctor Strange 2 isn't in the Avengers universe, but neither is he the one from the X-Men movies. Instead, he's a third variant entirely: the Professor X from X-Men: The Animated Series. In the beloved '90s cartoon, Charles Xavier maneuvered around in not a wheelchair, as in the X-Men movies but in a bright yellow hoverchair exactly like the one he uses in Doctor Strange 2. Likewise, the animated series' Professor X dressed in a dark green suit rather than the black/blue/charcoal gray of the movies. The version in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also sports a dark, pine-green suit unlike anything he's worn in live-action. It all suggests that the Professor X in Doctor Strange 2 is the one from the X-Men cartoon, proving that neither he nor the other X-Men exist in the Avengers universe with Doctor Strange–at least, not this version.

Clearly, there are superhero groups that exist in one universe alone, or, at least, don't exist in all universes. Chiwetel Ejiofor's Illuminati Mordo had never heard of the Avengers in his universe; likewise, the MCU's Doctor Strange had never heard of the Illuminati. At the moment, the X-Men do not seem to exist in the MCU, which makes sense. As the defender of Earth, Doctor Strange could sense the moment that Loki had entered Midgard's boundaries in Thor: Ragnarok. It would be unbelievable and uncharacteristic for him not to notice a presence as powerful as Professor X, the X-Men, and other Omega class mutants in his universe.

It all begs the question of just how the X-Men will be introduced to the MCU. It's likely that the Doctor Strange 2 post-credits scene holds the key: an incursion. As different universes start smashing together, causing destruction in some cases and merging in other spots, it's entirely possible that whatever universe in which the X-Men do exist will collide with the MCU of Doctor Strange and the Avengers. When that happens, it would create an opening for the X-Men and mutantkind to be introduced to the MCU, even if they didn't originate there. It's a much smarter introduction than Marvel trying to explain why the X-Men have never once been mentioned in the MCU. But though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teased the answer, it will be up to a future movie to confirm it.

Next: All 12 MCU Movies Releasing After Doctor Strange 2 (& When)

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