Anthony and Joe Russo, the acclaimed directors, have once again teased fans with a cryptic photo from the Avengers: Doomsday set, simply captioned: “look hard.”
The monochromatic image features one of the brothers seated in a director’s chair, facing away from the camera. Around him are various objects seemingly arranged to form a series of letters.
This isn’t the first time the Russo Brothers have used such a tactic. Back in September 2018, during the production of Avengers: Endgame, they shared a very similar monochrome photo with a director’s chair and letter-like objects, using the exact same “look hard” caption.
Then, fans managed to decipher the movie’s name from the cleverly placed objects, which appeared to spell out “A” and “E.” However, with the title Avengers: Doomsday already revealed, what secret are the Russos hiding this time?
On social media, particularly Reddit, discussions quickly erupted. Fans are pointing out a clear “A” and “X” on either side of the new photo, with a potential “V” shape in the middle. This has led many to speculate about an “AvX” battle – a showdown between the Avengers and X-Men – a possibility that’s long been anticipated.
Indeed, Marvel has already confirmed several beloved Fox-era X-Men actors for Avengers: Doomsday, though their precise roles remain a mystery. We know Patrick Stewart is set to return as Professor X, alongside Kelsey Grammer as Beast, James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, and Ian McKellen as Magneto.
Further fueling these theories are past comments from Alan Cumming, the actor behind Nightcrawler. He previously spoke about a potential fight with Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic, though he later admitted that due to extensive green screen work, he wasn’t entirely sure who his character was interacting with.
Such a confrontation would be logical if the Avengers found themselves in the X-Men universe and were perceived as a threat. The involvement of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, potentially manipulating the teams against each other, could also explain such a scenario. We’ve also seen characters cross universes, like Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, who ended up in the X-Men’s reality with Beast at the conclusion of The Marvels.
So, is an “AvX” clash the big reveal the Russo Brothers are hinting at? Or is there an even deeper meaning behind the image? While a last-minute name change to “Avengers vs. X-Men” seems unlikely, some fans suggest that Doomsday’s storyline, which leads into 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, feels too vast for just two films.
Could we actually be looking at a surprise third Avengers movie to form a complete trilogy? This also appears improbable, especially since Disney recently filled a reserved 2027 Marvel release slot with the announcement of The Simpsons Movie 2.
Regardless, Marvel clearly has ambitious plans for the X-Men’s future. Following the events of Secret Wars, Marvel boss Kevin Feige has indicated a semi-rebooted timeline will introduce a new, younger X-Men team. This fresh take on the mutants will debut in an upcoming X-Men movie directed by Jake Schreier. Hopefully, the true meaning of the Russo brothers’ latest tease will become clear before then.