Avengers: Doomsday Has the Perfect Opportunity to Redeem 1 X-Men Hero Fox Neglected For Years

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Marvel Studios is giving one overlooked character from the old X-Men movies a final chance to shine in Avengers: Doomsday. With several X-Men actors now officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reprising their roles in Doomsday – joining the battle against the new villain Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) – most have already had successful introductions. However, one X-Men member is still hoping for a chance to prove themselves.

The original X-Men movie from the 2000s featured a team led by Professor X, including Wolverine, Jean Grey, Storm, and Cyclops. James Marsden, who played Cyclops, is confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, alongside Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, and Channing Tatum. While more cast members are expected to reprise their roles, fans are hoping the film will give Marsden’s Cyclops a satisfying conclusion, as the character wasn’t well-served by the previous X-Men movies from Fox.

Fox’s X-Men Franchise Completely Wasted Cyclops (Twice)

Cyclops is a core member of the X-Men in Marvel Comics and a very significant mutant character, but his importance wasn’t reflected in the X-Men movies. While initially the team’s leader, Cyclops was overshadowed after Wolverine joined in 2000. Wolverine quickly became the focus, and his relationship with Jean Grey took center stage, effectively pushing Cyclops—who shoots beams of energy from his eyes—into the background before his death in X-Men: The Last Stand.

As a fan, it was frustrating to see Cyclops get short shrift in the X-Men prequels. Even with Tye Sheridan playing him, the movies always seemed more focused on characters like Jean Grey, Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique. Honestly, Cyclops was really wasted by Fox, so I think he needs a good story in Avengers: Doomsday more than anyone else! While it doesn’t look like we’ll see the old team back together, the idea of Cyclops returning gives me real hope that the Russo brothers will finally give him the spotlight he deserves in the MCU.

James Marsden’s Return in Avengers: Doomsday is the Last Chance to Redeem His Cyclops

Okay, so the big news out of Marvel’s presentation was definitely James Marsden coming back as Cyclops! It seems like we’re getting at least seven familiar faces from the X-Men films returning, and that’s leading me to believe Doomsday will likely pull from an alternate reality – maybe Earth-10005, or another version entirely. The rumor mill is churning about a massive showdown between the X-Men and Doctor Doom, and honestly, I’m thrilled. It’s a chance for Cyclops – and Marsden – to finally get the screen time and power showcase they deserve within the MCU. I’ve always felt the character was underutilized, and this could be the perfect opportunity to really do him justice.

While the Russo brothers haven’t always found success outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, their direction of films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame clearly demonstrates a strong understanding of Marvel’s characters. Given this, fans are optimistic they can do justice to the X-Men, a team known for some of Marvel’s most popular and powerful heroes. Many hope the Russos will revitalize Cyclops, giving the character a fresh start before a new actor is cast for the upcoming X-Men reboot directed by Jake Schreier.

Marvel Studios Has Already Revealed It Will Handle Cyclops Better in the Future

Before James Marsden gets another chance to play Cyclops – a role he previously had in the X-Men films – it’s already clear that Marvel Studios understands the character much better than 20th Century Fox did. The 2024 revival of X-Men ’97 brought back Cyclops from the original X-Men: The Animated Series, and immediately allowed him to showcase his impressive abilities. Voiced by Ray Chase, who took over from Norm Spencer, this version of Cyclops used his energy beams for flight and landing, proved strong enough to fight Bastion (Theo James), and was portrayed as both a strong leader for the X-Men and a dedicated family man.

The new animated series, X-Men ’97, finally captures Cyclops’ character accurately, mirroring the success of the original X-Men: The Animated Series. Because Marvel Studios Animation developed the revival, it’s likely the live-action Cyclops will be portrayed similarly well. While Avengers: Doomsday might be James Marsden’s last chance to play the role, the future looks promising for the X-Men leader in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although we don’t know who will eventually take on the role of Cyclops in the MCU’s upcoming X-Men reboot, fans are already excited about potential actors like Patrick Schwarzenegger, Harris Dickinson, and Jacob Elordi to play Scott Summers.

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2025-12-24 15:40