The Marvel Cinematic Universe keep fans on their toes by consistently releasing new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Arguably the most anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is Avengers: Doomsday, which will feature a huge ensemble of characters. That includes a number of OG stars from the X-Men movies, including James Marsden, and I really need The Russo Brothers' blockbuster to finally do right by his Cyclops.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, so fans are filling in the blanks with rumors and theories about what comes next. The Doomsday cast announcement confirmed that a number of beloved mutants are returning, and I'm crossing my fingers that Cyclops gets better treatment this time around.
Cyclops Didn't Get To Be Badass Enough In The Original X-Men Trilogy
The X-Men Doomsday teaser featured a big moment for Marsden, with Cyclops firing a massive optic beam at an unseen enemy while wearing a comic-accurate costume. This definitely made me hopeful, because I was never quite satisfied with how the character was handled throughout the original X-Men trilogy. Seriously, fans of the character missed out on seeing the fan favorite mutant adapted properly.
Despite how much of a badass Cyclops is in the comics, it felt like James Marsden never really got his moment in the first three movies. Instead, his role was largely about the love triangle between him, Jean, and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. For instance, Scott Summers was captured early on in the runtime of X2, and was unceremoniously killed off without ever even suiting up for action in The Last Stand. Add how little action he got in Bryan Singer's original movie, and it felt like we never really got to see the full power of the beloved team leader.
The discrepancy between Cyclops in live-action and the comics was made all the more obvious with the premiere of X-Men '97. The animated series opened with an epic battle against the Sentinels, and it gave probably the best portrayal of Scott's abilities we've ever seen. He uses his optic blasts to break his fall when flying through the air, and also uses them to push himself around the battlefield when rescuing Roberto da Costa. He's also shown as a great hand-to-hand combatant in a way that unfortunately James Marsden didn't get to show off much through his starring appearances in the X-Men movies.
To be clear, I don't blame Marsden for any of this. He's an excellent actor, and he can really pull of wearing Cyclops' visor. Instead I think it was the storytelling choices and visual effects limitations that resulted in him not getting a chance to show off the character's true badass nature. But the Doomsday teaser showed him unleashing an epic optic blast, and I hope that's an indiction that the character will finally get his day in the sun.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
