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James Marsden’s return as Cyclops has been both “special” and “exciting,” the actor says.
Over two decades after starring as Cyclops in the original X-Men franchise, the 51-year-old actor is stepping back into the mutant hero’s shoes for Avengers: Doomsday. Revisiting the role for his MCU debut, he told Vanity Fair in an interview published Aug. 7, has been “pretty special.”
When asked if it’s been “strange” to tap back into the character, Marsden first admitted that the costume itself — Cyclops typically rocks skintight leather and, of course, his signature lenses — has been one of the weirdest parts.
“I’m getting a little long in the tooth to put on the superhero costume,” he told Vanity Fair with a laugh, later adding that he would have had “a tough time struggling to get into costume if they waited a couple more years.”
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But being part of an Avengers film is thrilling — as is finally putting an end to decades of fan requests for him to reprise his role, Marsden said.
“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?’ I’m dead. Well, maybe not,” the 27 Dresses star told the magazine.
“So it’s been a blast. It really has,” he said of working on Doomsday. “It’s been a nice little homecoming to a role that really put me on the map. 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,” added Marsden.
After appearing as Cyclops in 2000’s X-Men, the Enchanted star reprised the role in two more films, 2003’s X2: X-Men United and 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. Despite the beloved comic book character — as the actor stated in his Vanity Fair interview — dying in the third film, Marsden last appeared as the hero in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.
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Cyclops is just one of the iconic heroes Marvel is assembling for Doomsday, coming in 2026. On March 26, the studio announced more of the star-studded cast for the fifth Avengers movie, which included 26 additional actors — including the surprising return of original X-Men characters.
Rebecca Romijn, who played Mystique alongside Marsden’s Cyclops in the original X-Men trilogy, will appear in the forthcoming movie, as well as Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and Ian McKellen’s Magneto.
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Avengers: Doomsday is expected to release Dec. 18, 2026.
