Why James Marsden Is Playing Cyclops In Avengers: Doomsday Instead Of The X-Men Prequel Actor

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Fan-favorite X-Men leader Cyclops is returning in the new film Avengers: Doomsday, with James Marsden reprising his role. Marsden first played Scott Summers in the year 2000 with the original X-Men movie, and made a brief appearance at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past twelve years ago.

After that, Fox chose Tye Sheridan to play Cyclops in X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Although Sheridan is the more recent on-screen portrayal, Marvel brought back James Marsden as Cyclops for Avengers: Doomsday because of a bigger plan for how the film features the mutant team.

With the release of the Avengers: Doomsday X-Men trailer officially showing the actor who played Cyclops back in the role, it’s now easier to understand why Marsden was chosen instead of Sheridan.

Avengers: Doomsday Brought Back Original X-Men Movie Actors

As a huge movie fan, I’ve noticed something really cool with Marvel lately. They’ve been bringing back the actors who originally played the X-Men, and it’s a treat! We saw Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and then Hugh Jackman made everyone lose it when he returned as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine. Now, it looks like Avengers: Doomsday is going to take that even further, which is incredibly exciting for a long-time fan like me.

The current Marvel storyline involving the multiverse has allowed the return of several original X-Men actors, not just James Marsden. The trailer features Patrick Stewart alongside Marsden, as well as Ian McKellen as Magneto. Marvel Studios has also confirmed that Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), and Kelsey Grammer (Beast) – all previously part of the franchise – will appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

I’m really excited about Doomsday! It’s not a direct continuation of the first X-Men films, which is interesting. And I’m thrilled to see Channing Tatum returning as Gambit after we got a taste of him in Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s a shame Fox never got around to making his own movie, but at least we’re getting more of him now!

Look, even with Gambit potentially showing up, it’s clear Marvel Studios isn’t interested in bringing back any of the actors from those earlier X-Men films made by Fox. I’m talking about fan favorites like James McAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto – even someone like Cyclops, played by Tye Sheridan, isn’t getting a second look. It seems they’re completely starting fresh with the X-Men.

This comes down to nostalgia. While Sheridan played Cyclops most recently in a film, the return of Marsden – along with other original cast members – is generating more excitement because the early X-Men movies are so fondly remembered. If Doomsday required a well-known Cyclops actor, Marsden was the obvious choice, not Sheridan.

Will James Marsden & Tye Sheridan Return In Avengers: Secret Wars?

Although Sheridan won’t reprise his role as Cyclops in Doomsday – with Marsden returning instead – it’s still uncertain if either actor will appear in Avengers: Secret Wars. This next Avengers movie, the sixth in the series, is planned to wrap up the MCU’s ongoing storyline about the multiverse.

Because Secret Wars is expected to be a big celebration of everything that’s happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, many fans anticipate seeing familiar faces return. We can likely expect a lot of beloved characters from past Marvel movies to appear in some capacity.

As of now, neither of the actors who previously played Cyclops are set to reprise their roles in the upcoming Secret Wars movie. However, James Marsden’s recent appearance in Doomsday suggests he might be considered for the sequel. It seems less likely that Ben Foster will return, as Marvel Studios could instead bring back other characters from his era of X-Men films, potentially generating more fan enthusiasm.

If another actor plays Cyclops in Secret Wars besides Luke Marsden, it’s probably someone Marvel Studios will cast as the main Cyclops for future movies. But even if that doesn’t happen, there’s a good chance Marsden will return, especially after his appearance in Avengers: Doomsday.

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2026-01-06 20:59