‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Needs To Make Cyclops the Leader He Was Always Meant To Be

The third teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday has arrived, reuniting fans with not one character but three. Magneto (Ian McKellen) makes a foreboding speech about death while being pictured with his old friend/rival Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). It’s a different character, however, that confirms the final message that “The X-Men Will Return” — James Marsden's Scott Summers, aka Cyclops.

The first three X-Men movies were part of the foundation on which the modern superhero movie era was built, but the trilogy never really did justice to one of its historically most prominent members. Cyclops went from a pivotal figure in the comics and cartoons, to a secondary character that went out with a whimper. Can the latest chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe rewrite history?

Cyclops Went From Leader to Romantic Rival

In the comic books, Cyclops is a complex figure. The strategic head of the X-Men, he has the stoicism of a general, able to lead in the most difficult situations. He also represents the burden of such leadership, with the weight of mutant-kind often resting on his shoulders. Whereas Wolverine often strikes first and asks questions later, Scott is often shown to feel the consequences of his actions. This makes him an emotional lynchpin of celebrated comic arcs such as the Dark Phoenix saga.

In the films, Cyclops simply feels like “the other man” in the romantic connection between Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). Logan arrives as the charismatic rule-breaker, and much of his development comes at the cost of his rival. He mocks Scott, calling him “pretty boy” and “a dick,” as well as scoffing at his X-Men uniform. He steals his bike in the first film, and his car in the second, ripping off the roof.

However, it’s not just Wolverine who sees little value in Cyclops, as the movies diminish Scott in a number of ways. There’s a moment in the second movie where a punchline is centered around him being an *NSYNC fan, while, in their first confrontation, Magneto undermines Cyclops’ idea to have Storm (Halle Berry) to blast him inside the Empire State Building. (“I thought you lived at a school?” the villain taunts.)

Cyclops Deserved a Better Ending

Generally, Cyclops was sidelined over the course of the first two X-Men movies, but those snubs paled in comparison to his exit from the franchise in film three. Early on in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, Scott is wracked with grief from Jean’s sacrifice in the previous film, and he revisits Alkali Lake where she died. Her Dark Phoenix persona emerges, kissing him but soon engulfing her former lover with dark energy that kills him.

It's a sudden ending to the character’s journey, particularly given how integral the character is in the comic book arc on which The Last Stand is loosely based. She is the love of his life, but the conflict that he endures is instead transferred to Wolverine in the Brett Ratner-directed movie.

The abrupt nature of the departure, as well as a lack of finality (no body was shown), was a shock for fans, even for a character that had not quite had the stature of the source material. It was rumored, but never confirmed by any party, that the move was due to Marsden joining director Bryan Singer, who made the first two X-Men films, on the rival blockbuster Superman Returns.

The actor would make a brief cameo at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past, again as a part of Wolverine’s larger narrative, and a younger Cyclops would be portrayed by Tye Sheridan in later movies. However, Cyclops remains one of the most underserved figures in the X-Men universe, and one that would be more than entitled to a thematic makeover.

How ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Can Revive Cyclops (but Probably Won’t)

The positioning of Marsden’s Cyclops at the end of the latest Avengers: Doomsday trailer could be seen as significant. Dressed in comic-accurate attire and seen unleashing a dramatic blast of optic energy, Cyclops, the trailer suggests, may have an important part to play in the epic Marvel crossover. Those hoping to see him get his moment will be rooting for a long Doomsday runtime and can be encouraged by the fact that Marvel has consistently shown an interest in boosting underserved characters (think Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine).

That said, it's still hard to imagine Cyclops playing a leading role in Doomsday. The cast for the crossover is bursting at the seams with characters from numerous timelines, with major figures like Steve Rogers and Thor being brought back into the fold alongside Robert Downey Jr’s introduction as Doctor Doom. Such a crowded screen means it’s reasonable to expect many characters will only have a moment or two back in action. Perhaps Cyclops can emerge as the figurehead of this version of the X-Men, but can he be transformed into the leader fans of the comics and animated series know? It seems unlikely in any universe.

As the MCU uses nostalgia for the past to make a hit for the future, the appearance of James Marsden’s Cyclops only serves to remind us of what might have been. Perhaps a recasting of the mutant heroes might provide a chance for renewal, but the epic scale of Doomsday suggests this return may just be a blast from the past.