After more than a decade away from the role, James Marsden is officially suiting up as Cyclops once again for Marvel’s highly anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday.” The actor recently broke his silence about returning to the X-Men universe, addressing both fan excitement and the small matter of his character’s previous death.
A Long-Awaited Homecoming
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Marsden acknowledged the passage of time since his last major appearance as the goggled X-Man leader. “I’m getting a little long in the tooth to put on the superhero costume,” he admitted, “but 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?'”
The return represents a significant moment for both Marsden and X-Men fans who have been clamoring for the original cast’s return since Fox’s X-Men franchise concluded. Marsden’s last substantial appearance as Cyclops was in 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” where his character met his apparent demise.
Death and Resurrection in the X-Men Universe
When asked about his character’s survival, Marsden offered a cryptically hopeful response: “I’m dead. Well, maybe not.” This statement references the complex continuity of the X-Men films, where Cyclops died in “The Last Stand” but was later brought back through the time-travel mechanics of 2014’s “Days of Future Past.”
Via Getty / Marvel / Fox
That film saw Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine rewrite history, effectively erasing many unpopular story elements from previous X-Men movies and restoring characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and others to life. Marsden briefly appeared in the film’s ending alongside other original cast members, confirming his character’s resurrection in the corrected timeline.
Multiversal Connections to the MCU
The mechanism for bringing the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be through multiversal storytelling, potentially connected to events from “The Marvels.” The post-credits scene of that film showed Monica Rambeau ending up in an alternate universe where she encountered Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, suggesting the X-Men timeline is already connected to the broader MCU multiverse.
Early set photos from “Avengers: Doomsday” have leaked showing a battle-scarred X-Mansion and Marsden interacting with MCU actors, while Alan Cumming has spoiled that his Nightcrawler character will fight Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic, confirming significant X-Men involvement in the film.
Original Cast Reunion
Marsden joins several other original X-Men actors returning for “Doomsday,” including Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. This represents one of the most significant casting reunions in superhero movie history, bringing together actors who defined these characters for over two decades.
“It’s been a nice little homecoming to a role that really put me on the map,” Marsden reflected. “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.”
A Bittersweet Return
While fans celebrate the original cast’s return, this appearance may be their swan song. Marvel Studios is already planning a fresh X-Men reboot with a younger cast, suggesting that “Avengers: Doomsday” could serve as a farewell to the Fox X-Men era while transitioning the characters into the MCU proper.
Marsden acknowledged the timing factor in his return, noting, “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.”
For longtime X-Men fans, Marsden’s return as Cyclops represents both a nostalgic victory and a potential goodbye to the actors who brought these characters to life for over 20 years. Whether the original X-Men survive the events of “Doomsday” remains to be seen, but their return promises to be one of the film’s most emotionally resonant elements.
“Avengers: Doomsday” is set to release in 2026, marking what could be the final chapter for the original X-Men cast while setting up the future of mutants in the MCU.
