Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has been one of the significant characters in Fox’s X-Men films in addition to the rivalry between Professor X and Magneto. Fans have celebrated the rich and layered arc of the character throughout the films and its emotional conclusion with 2017’s Logan.
Even though Jackman is reprising the role in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, the MCU will surely have its own Wolverine in the near future. However, one fan points out that one character who was underutilized in the Fox movies should be given the respect he deserves in the MCU’s version of the team.
Fan Suggests MCU X-Men Films Should Let Cyclops Be In Centre Stage
The Fox X-Men films successfully brought the beloved Marvel team to the big screen. Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine was the center of attention for fans as the films and Jackman’s performance made the incarnation of the character an iconic one. The studio made Jackman one of the primary selling points of the franchise in addition to Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen’s portrayals of Professor X and Magneto.
The MCU is set to introduce their version of the X-Men most likely after the end of the multiversal saga. The upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine which will see the return of Jackman’s Wolverine is expected to be the swansong for the Fox era of the X-Men and a celebration of their history. With this in mind, fans have their own take on how the MCU should approach their new X-Men narrative.
A user named @KnightGambit on X posits an interesting take where he states that the MCU’s X-Men should not have a Wolverine. Instead, they should elevate Cyclops in the same way that Fox elevated Wolverine in their films. One of the many criticisms of the original X-Men films was how James Marsden’s Cyclops was completely underutilized and wasted. He wrote,
“I hope the X-Men movie has zero Wolverine and finally just let Cyclops do his f***ing thing”
Hot Take: I hope the #XMen movie has zero Wolverine and finally just let Cyclops do his fucking thing pic.twitter.com/tfQbcbuamL
— Caleb Williams (@KnightGambit) February 18, 2024
Outside of his feud with Wolverine over Jean Grey, the films did not explore the character deeply and make him stand out on his own. The MCU can rectify this mistake by making Cyclops a significant factor in the narrative of the films.
The option of excluding Wolverine (for maybe the first film) is interesting as it will make people focus on Cyclops taking matters into his own hands and carrying the narrative alongside heavy hitters like Professor X and Magneto.
James Marsden Is Open to Reprising His Role as Cyclops In the MCU
James Marsden played Cyclops in the original X-Men trilogy. His relationship with Jean Grey and his conflict with Wolverine became the narrative arc of the character throughout the films. With Fox now taken over by Disney, many characters from those films are expected to appear in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine.
While we do not know if Marsden will appear in the film, he did speak about wanting to reprise the role if Marvel Studios called with a great script. The actor told The Wrap that the character is very close to his heart and he misses his co-stars from the X-Men films. He would love to explore more of Cyclops if given the opportunity. He said,
“Sure, yeah. I mean, I’m all about material and what the story is, what the character would be doing, but it’s a character I’ve played that is very close to my heart. You know, that family, I miss it dearly. We created a very special thing in the first couple of X-Men movies and yea, I’d love to explore that, but I’d want to see what that looks like first, I guess.”
With rumors that the original X-Men will appear for one last time in Deadpool 3, fans could see the return of Marsden as Cyclops in the film. Fans can watch Marsden’s tenure as the character in the original X-Men trilogy on Disney+.
