Written By Kieran Bugg
Former X-Men star James Marsden has revealed he’s open to a potential return as Cyclops in an MCU movie.
Fox’s X-Men movies had their ups and downs. For one they helped jumpstart the superhero film craze following the colossal failure of 1997’s Batman And Robin.
Moreover, several of their cinematic entries have often been hailed as some of the best in the genre. Most notably X2: X-Men United, X-Men: Days Of Future Past and Logan.
In addition they brought us some of the greatest comic book character castings of all time. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart have become synonymous with their respective roles as Wolverine and Professor X.
James Marsden Open To Return As Cyclops In The MCU
Image: 20th Century Studios
So much so that both of them have gone on to return as their characters in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Stewart made a small appearance as Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
Furthermore, Jackman’s Wolverine will play a major role in Ryan Reynolds’ upcoming Deadpool sequel. Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool being another example of perfect casting to come from the franchise.
Nonetheless, there were certain characters and actors that many felt were wasted. Probably the most famous being James Marsden as the X-Men’s team leader, Cyclops. The fan favourite mutant was one of the main characters in the original film.
However he was demoted to a more supporting role in the sequel. In a decision that utterly outraged fans, Cyclops was swiftly killed off in X-Men: The Last Stand’s first act.
This was ultimately down to James Marsden’s casting as Richard White in 2006’s Superman Returns. Marsden would however reprise the role at the end of Days Of Future Past following the timeline reset.
During a recent interview on the red carpet, the actor was asked if he’d be interested in portraying Cyclops again. Responding to the question, Marsden replied:
“Sure. Yeah, I mean, I’m all about material, and what the story is, and what the character would be doing, but it’s a character that I played and it’s very close to my heart, and that family, I miss it dearly. We created a very special thing with the first couple of ‘X-Men’ movies and yeah, I’d love to explore that. But you know, I would want to see what that looks like first, I guess.”
James Marsden Open To Return As Cyclops In The MCU
Image: 20th Century Studios
With that being said, the ball‘s in Kevin Feige’s court. Should Marvel Studios decide to bring back more of the original cast, the safest bet would be in Deadpool 3.
Or even Avengers: Secret Wars.