“It felt like it might’ve been an either/or”: James Marsden Nearly Forced a Cyclops Recast in X-Men 3 by Choosing to Do a DC Movie Instead
- James Marsden's career path has been steady, as his roles often portray him as the nice guy.
- His breakout role came with the 'X-Men' franchise, where he appeared in two films.
- However, he nearly lost the role of Cyclops in 'X-Men: The Last Stand' due to 'Superman Returns.'
James Marsden, known for his all-American charm, has had a career path as steady and predictable as the setting sun. From the nice guy (Lon Hammond) who gets ditched by Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) for Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) in The Notebook to the even nicer guy who gets left by Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) in Superman Returns, Marsden’s roles often follow a gentle, soft-spoken pattern.
Even a role that significantly changed his career was his time as Cyclops in the X-Men franchise. However, he nearly had to be replaced in the third installment, X-Men: The Last Stand, because he chose to star in the DC movie Superman Returns instead.
James Marsden’s Decision Could Have Nearly Cost Him the Cyclops Role in X-Men 3
James Marsden‘s portrayal of Scott Summers/Cyclops, the laser-eyed leader of the X-Men, was a defining moment in his career. However, he recently revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that he almost didn’t appear in the third installment, X-Men: The Last Stand, due to a scheduling conflict with another major film.
The Hollywood star shared how he nearly had to pick between Superman Returns and X-Men: The Last Stand. When Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men movies, left to make Superman Returns, he asked Marsden to join the cast. Since a third X-Men movie was uncertain at the time, the actor took the role.
It is because, even though Cyclops is an important character in Marvel’s comics, in the film, he mainly comes across as Wolverine’s rival for Jean Grey’s love. In fact, there was a real chance he could have been left out of X-Men: The Last Stand. But he ended up in a tough situation when The Last Stand suddenly moved ahead. Marsden explained:
There was a moment where it felt like it might’ve been an either/or. Like, make a choice. It turned out that we were able to work out the schedules. And then when I finished actually shooting ‘Superman Returns,’ I was able to go back and do a couple of weeks on, about a week and a half, on ‘X-Men 3,’ where Cyclops meets his end.
The 50-year-old explained that he managed to juggle both projects, but his involvement in X-Men: The Last Stand was significantly cut back. This led to the shocking and abrupt demise of Cyclops, a character many fans felt deserved a more meaningful send-off.
James Marsden is the Ultimate Nice Guy Typecast
James Marsden’s career is full of roles where he plays the dependable, good-natured guy. More examples include Sonic’s adoptive dad in the Sonic the Hedgehog films and the kind android Teddy in Westworld.
Obviously, he loves playing nice guys. However, deep down, there might be a part of him that wants to break out of that mold. While Marsden has shown his comedic talent in films like Enchanted and Hairspray, it’s clear that Hollywood still views him as the go-to guy for wholesome roles.
Whether by chance or choice, his career has followed a predictable path. From nearly losing his role as Cyclops to playing a series of nice-guy characters, his journey in Hollywood has been marked by consistent likability, but perhaps a bit too much of the same.
Watch X-Men: The Last Stand on Disney+ and Superman Returns on Prime Video!
