X-Men fans have taken to social media to celebrate the return of James Marsden as Cyclops in the newly released trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Marsden, 52, first portrayed Scott Summers in the 2000 film X-Men and reprised the role in two sequels before the character was killed off in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. He later made a cameo in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past.
The trailer shows Marsden's Cyclops removing his visor and unleashing an unrestrained optic blast. It also features other returning X-Men actors, including Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. A scene depicts Professor X and Magneto playing chess with hovering pieces.
Fans have praised Marsden's casting and the comic-accurate costume. One wrote on X: “I’ve never been a Cyclops fan but I always thought James Marsden was perfectly cast and they did him dirty in the X-Men movies. Glad to see a possible redemption for Avengers: Doomsday.” Another commented: “James Marsden you deserved so much more for being Scott Summers.”
In an interview with Vanity Fair in August, Marsden described returning to the role as “a homecoming to a role that really put me on the map.” He joked about his age, saying he's “getting a little long in the tooth to put on the superhero costume,” but added that stepping back into the character was “pretty special.”
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release in cinemas on 18 December 2026.
