Storm’s Avengers: Doomsday Absence & X-Men Return Officially Addressed by Halle Berry

When Marvel Studios announced the Avengers: Doomsday cast last year, fans were surprised to see several actors from Fox’s X-Men film series were part of the ensemble. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn are reprising their fan-favorite characters one more time. The heavy presence of X-Men in Doomsday raises questions about which other mutants could show up, and there have been many rumors about the likes of Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen. Some people were holding out hope to see Halle Berry reprise Storm, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.

In an interview with Screen Rant while promoting her new film Crime 101, Berry discussed her connection to the role of Storm and addressed her future with the role. “Storm is a very special character to me. I’ve been so blessed when I gotten to play her,” she said. “I think the whole world of the X-Men and being mutants and outcasts. And there’ve been movies that I’ve been proud to have my children watch. They have so much to say that I thought has been really important, especially for my children as they’ve grown. So they’re beloved. And while I’m sad I won’t be in Doomsday this round, there are other rounds. And I would do that in a heartbeat.”

Will Storm Return in Avengers: Secret Wars?

Of course, whenever a Marvel actor says they aren’t in an upcoming film, it’s worth wondering if they’re trying to hide something. After all, Andrew Garfield spent months denying he was in Spider-Man: No Way Home, so until Avengers: Doomsday is out, there’s always a chance Berry is playing coy to preserve surprises. That said, assuming she’s telling the truth, it’s a disappointing yet understandable update. It would be great to see Berry back in action with her old X-Men co-stars, but Doomsday has a plethora of characters it needs to serve, and it would be a shame if Berry returned and didn’t have much to do.

Still, Berry is open to coming back and is aware that there are other Marvel movies in development, so perhaps she could have a role in Avengers: Secret Wars. If there are some notable character deaths in Doomsday, then there will be voids in the ensemble for other prominent heroes to fill. Having Storm come in to essentially replace someone in the lineup would ensure that she has a meaningful part to play. Of course, this is assuming Storm is still alive in the X-Men’s reality that we’ll see in Doomsday.

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The X-Men were the focus of one of the Doomsday teasers, and it’s safe to say the preview was a bit unsettling. The footage suggested the mutants are worse for wear, with Cyclops clearly in agony, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters seemingly in disarray, and Charles Xavier and Magneto preparing for what looks to be their final stand. It’s unclear if some key X-Men (like Jean Grey and Storm) perished in an attack, forcing the surviving mutants to band together against Doctor Doom’s forces.

If Storm is alive, it would make sense to have her appear in Secret Wars. She’s such an important character that it would be odd if she didn’t join her allies in a fight to save the multiverse. At the same time, there isn’t room for everyone in a feature film (even a sweeping superhero epic like Secret Wars), so it will be interesting to see what happens. There may not be any official confirmation on Berry’s possible involvement for a while. Secret Wars doesn’t begin filming until later this year, and it remains to be seen if Marvel will make any casting announcements. As we saw with recent comments from Chris Hemsworth, anything related to Secret Wars could spoil Doomsday, and Marvel wants to avoid that.

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