Veteran actors from the X-Men franchise are set to reprise their iconic roles in the highly anticipated Marvel crossover.
James Marsden revealed his initial skepticism about returning to his role as Cyclops (Scott Summers) for the upcoming film ‘Avengers: Doctor Doom’. The actor, who first portrayed the character in 2000’s ‘X-Men’, will once again embody him at the age of 52.
In an interview, Marsden confessed his doubts about whether Marvel truly needed a ‘fifty-something Cyclops’ and expressed concern over his ability to meet the physical demands and convincingly portray the character after so many years.
However, his reservations quickly dissipated once production began. Marsden was profoundly impressed by Ian McKellen, who, despite being 86 years old, remains actively involved in filming and insists on performing his own stunts. Marsden recounted an instance where McKellen would literally push away his stunt double, declaring, “Let me have a go myself.”
‘Avengers: Doctor Doom’ is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, and is set to unite over thirty characters from both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the legacy X-Men films from Fox.