The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Without a doubt, one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Avengers: Doomsday, which will feature a huge ensemble cast and multiple teams of heroes. That includes some OG stars of the X-Men movies, and James Marsden recently broke his silence about finally returning to the role of Cyclops.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but comic book fans are hyped to see the return of so many X-Men stars. James Marsden debuted as Cyclops back in 2000, and fans have wanted to see him return for years now. During an interview with Vanity Fair, he spoke about reprising that character years later. He said:
I’m getting a little long in the tooth to put on the superhero costume. I was excited because you're a part of something gigantic, and I've spent 20 years listening to people say, ‘when are you coming back? When are you coming back? Are you coming back?’ I'm dead. Well, maybe not.
Cyclops is a beloved X-Men character, one who fans usually want to see more of. While James Marsden heard from fans wanting him to appear in the MCU for years, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally opened those doors. Sure, the character was killed in X-Men: The Last Stand, but with the multiverse anything is possible. And technically, Days of Future Past's ending already revived him.
Fans like me were shocked when the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement included a number of OG X-Men stars. In addition to Marsden, we'll also see the return of Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen's Magneto, Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, and Kelsey Grammer's Beast. Later in the same interview, the star of Paradise (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) spoke more about filming the next Avengers flick, offering:
I'm going to have a tough time struggling to get into costume if they waited a couple more years. So it's been a blast. It really has. It's been a nice little homecoming to a role that really put me on the map. It was the first real event project that I was ever a part of, and a very beloved character, this icon from the comics. And so to step back into that role was pretty special.
I don't know about you, but I am seriously hyped. Marsden is the first actor to play Cyclops in live-action, with that role eventually going to Tye Sheridan in X-Men Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, none of those actors are expected to pop up in Doomsday.
Exactly how the OG X-Men are going to join the story of that blockbuster is a total mystery at this point, but fans have some ideas. The Marvels' credits scene brought back Grammer's Beast, so that would be a logical way for the team of mutants to appear. Then again, Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris haven't been listed as part of the Doomsday cast.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully, we get more information about the movie as filming continues.
