James Marsden is returning to his “X-Men” roots in Marvel’s upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is set to feature the actor alongside several of his original cast members from 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men” film franchise. Marsden told Vanity Fair that filming “Doomsday” has been a “blast” and a “homecoming.”
“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?’” Marsden said. “I’m dead. Well, maybe not. 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.”
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“It’s been a nice little homecoming to a role that really put me on the map,” he continued. “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.”
Marsden debuted as Scott Summers/Cyclops in 2000’s “X-Men” and reprised the role in 2003’s “X2: X-Men United” and 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand.” The character was killed off in the latter film, as Marsden moved on to film “Superman Returns.” But now Cyclops is back for “Doomsday,” although the logistics of his return remain under wraps.
Joining Marsden in “Avengers: Doomsday” are his “X-Men” co-stars Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique). It’s also unknown at this time whether or not all these actors will carry over into the sequel, “Avengers: Secret Wars.” The only thing known for sure is that Marvel is intending to reboot the X-Men with a cast of younger actors in a post-“Avengers” movie directed by “Thunderbolts” helmer Jake Schreier.
“Yeah, I think that’s fair to say,” Schreier told The Playlist last month when asked if Marvel’s new take on the X-Men will be “recognizably different from what came before,” adding as a joke, “There’s that red sniper dot out there somewhere, you know.”
“Avengers: Doomsday” opens in theaters Dec. 18, 2026, from Disney and Marvel Studios.
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