The Road to Doomsday Part 2 — X2 (2003)

In all honesty, I am unsure of significant conclusions that can be drawn from X2 (2003) that aren’t already present or at least nodded to in X-Men (2000). Here are some aspects, scenes or characters that are in fact new to this movie, that could be significant for the new Avengers’ plot. 

Notably, Nightcrawler has his first appearance and leads remarkable action scenes. The character is portrayed by Alan Cumming, who is set to reprise his role in December’s Doomsday. Yet, Kelsey Grammer is also set to return as Beast and was not introduced in the X-Men films deemed absolutely necessary in spite of having already made his MCU debut with 2023’s The Marvels. So, perhaps we can conclude that Nightcrawler is outstandingly important for the plot? Or Marvel will draw on other pieces of information also included in X2?

The film also deepens our understanding of the way mutant powers are used and perceived. In one of its most famous scenes, Iceman (alias Bobby Drake) uses his powers to adjust a beer’s temperature, which exemplifies a common, daily use of superpowers, an approach that is unusual to genre productions. The film also further explores powers of characters such as Mystique and Professor Xavier, unveiling how powerful they are. X2 also shows how powers can interfere in familiar relationships, when Bobby reveals his powers to his family and enacts tension. 

One of the main points of focus is still the tension between humans and mutants, but this time we see a much more clear comparison between the human to mutant ratio. That aspect was striking since the number of mutants in this universe was more significant than I expected it to be. Xavier demonstrates this to Logan (Wolverine) and admits they are “Not as alone as you’d think”. 

It also shows the first official team up between the X-Men and Magneto against Stryker, a villain that despises mutants but uses them in his favor. Xavier and Magneto’s friendship is also further explored, and it will be carried on to Avengers: Doomsday. The film finishes in a hopeful tone, with the X-Men directly messaging the government about mutant persecution. 

Though I finished the recap of X-Men (2000) saying that the film made them feel more like family, this one furthers that idea by showing a bonded and close community that cares for each other. It made me cherish the MCU’s first found family even more and dread the collapse of their universe in light of an Incursion.