James Marsden Teases Avengers: Doomsday As A Game-Changer For X-Men Fans
James Marsden says X-Men fans should brace themselves: Avengers: Doomsday will blow them away. In a new Entertainment Tonight interview, he teases his return as Scott Summers/Cyclops and big-screen crossover fireworks.
Good news for anyone who grew up squinting at a visor and trying not to burn a hole in the wall: James Marsden says Avengers: Doomsday is going to do right by X-Men fans.
Marsden on putting the visor back on
In a quick chat with Entertainment Tonight, Marsden confirmed he is back as Scott Summers/Cyclops and did the whole 'I can’t say much' dance. Still, he kept the promise broad and bold:
"Yeah, of course. I mean, I’ve also been trained not to speak too much about this particular project, but of course you can count on being blown away, seeing so many new things, and the Russo Brothers upping the ante and Marvel just giving everyone what they want."
We already got a blink-and-winces moment of his return in a Doomsday teaser: Cyclops whips off the glasses, screams, and unleashes a blast that looks like it hurts him as much as whatever is on the receiving end. Classic Scott Summers trauma-beam energy.
Quick history check
Marsden first suited up as Cyclops in 2000’s X-Men, then came back for 2003’s X2, 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, and a cameo run-in during 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. So yes, this is a legit homecoming, not a one-off wink.
Who else is back (and who might crash the party)
- Returning from the Fox-era films: Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique.
- Channing Tatum is on deck as Gambit after popping up in Deadpool & Wolverine.
- On the speculation board: Ryan Reynolds could swing through as Deadpool in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars, and Hugh Jackman is rumored to claw his way back in as Wolverine.
The big picture
Doomsday is the crossover buffet: the X-Men team up with the Avengers, the Wakandans, the New Avengers, and the Fantastic Four to take on Doctor Doom — played by Robert Downey Jr. Yes, that casting. The whole thing is designed to roll right into Avengers: Secret Wars the following year.
Joe and Anthony Russo are back in the Marvel saddle to direct Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, 2026. If Marsden’s keeping mum is any indication, they’re saving a lot of the fireworks for the screen — but the promise here is pretty simple: bigger, louder, and very mutant-friendly.