X-Men director Bryan Singer has already claimed to have some of the mutants return to his upcoming X-Men movie Apocalypse. I'm here today to explain why I think James Marsden's Cyclops should return for the role, and also a possible theory on why he may not be dead. Read on to hear more details!
One of the many arguments against the X-Men movies is that they haven't been kind to Cyclops. And as much as I hate to admit it, it's true. But sometimes the hate towards him can be overly done. Bryan Singer did a great job with Cyclops in the first movie, although he gets left in the dust in X2, and Ratner screwed him up real bad in X3. But the thing is, the only "problem" with Cyclops in the X-Men movies is a lack of him. James Marsden's acting is spot on, and he's got the look and the personality down to a science. And he's actually a well written character in the first two films, he just isn't used enough. That's it though, the portrayal itself is great but it's the fact that it feels like he's barely even in the last two movies of the trilogy. In X-Men 1 however, Cyclops was great. I really liked his scenes there, especially when he saves Wolverine's life out in the snowy forest. The scenes where he exchanges words with Wolverine were great, I felt like yelling out "show em who's boss!" Whenever I watch those scenes. It's also great to see him show off his powers whenever he kills Sabretooth. (Which Wolverine was obviously INCAPABLE of doing, ha! So much for "upstaging" the entire team) And whenever he blasts open the roof of the train station. The graphics may not have been the best, but for a Cyclops fan it was still a joy! Cyclops had a huge role in X-Men 1, as the leader of the team. As Wolverine's yin. (or yang) There's a lot more too, but I think I'll end it there. X-Men 1 is proof that Fox is capable of portraying Cyclops well, but they simply choose not to...which really makes what happens next all the more infuriating.
In X2 however, a lot of the character that was Cyclops is gone. He has his moments, and every moment he is on screen is great. But sadly, he lacks screen time. In fact, I'd argue the only flaw with X2: X-Men United is the underutilization of Cyclops. But if you watch the scenes he's actually in, like his battle with Lady Deathstrike, his battle with Jean Grey or the opening bits of the film. They are all great...Of course X3 came along and finished the screwing that started in X2. But Cyclops' portrayal in X-Men and those few scenes from X-Men 2 prove that James Marsden is good in the role as the fact that Fox is capable of portraying a good Cyclops. But that's enough background information and WHY I think he should be brought back, now let's get to the material of the actual theory. Which begins in 2006....
Think back to the 2006 cap-off to the X-Men trilogy. Think of X-Men: The Last Stand. Even as a diehard X-fan, and someone actually does enjoy most of the Fox X-Men movies I have to admit it. X-Men 3 sucked, like it really sucked. It is to the FoX-Men what Iron Man 2 is to the MCU. A missed opportunity and a failure. But that's not what this article is about. If you think back to Cyclops' death scene at Alkalai lake, where his ex girlfriend Jean Grey returns from the dead but ends up killing him during a kiss....or, so we think. So we are supposed to think. I don't like Brett Ratner or his movies, but I thank God that he chose to leave it semi open ended. Because in all actuality, the movie never shows a dead body for Cyclops or even any sign that he's actually dead outside of the floating glasses. Even though the movie sucks, and even worse that scene in particular really sucks I was so happy that it didn't actually depict the moment of his death or show a body or anything like that. In fact, they never find out anything outside of those red glasses. X-Men: The Last Stand supposedly kills off Cyclops but in a way it leaves his death somewhat open ended. It is easily explainable to say that she didn't kill him or that he survived. It is perfectly acceptable to say that he never died. Which brings me to the next part of my theory.
Jump ahead eight years and it's the year 2013. The newest X-Men related movie The Wolverine comes and it is awesome. But that aside, one of the biggest elements of the film is the Jean Grey subplot. Wolverine who once killed her back in X-Men 3 now sees her ghost in his dreams. The vision he sees is the ghost of Jean Grey, who has been haunting him and trying to get him to accept death and join her in the afterlife. Now we all know what happens, in the end Logan chooses not to join her and to let her go. Now, hang on for a minute. Jump back to 2003 in the movie X2: X-Men United where after Jean's first death Wolverine tells Cyclops that Jean chose him over Logan. Now back to 2013 and The Wolverine. One place where my theory originated is when I was listening a ranting Fox hater. Who was complaining about The Wolverine and saying that if Jean chose Cyclops over Wolverine in X2, why does she want Logan to join her in the afterlife when her self described true love Cyclops is there in the afterlife too. AHA! That is where all three of these come together. What the hater said was true, Jean DID claim that she chose Cyclops over Wolverine and IF Cyclops was actually dead than he'd be with her in the afterlife and she wouldn't want Wolverine. So, the logical explanation is: Cyclops. Isn't. Dead. Or: Fox's usual canon ignoring bullshit.
But take that for what it's worth, I think it's a legitimate theory. I would love to see Cyclops return to the big screen especially if played by James Marsden. Singer himself admits that his greatest sin is underutilization of Cyclops in the old movies. So I think if he was given a chance, he could be done well again like he was in the original X-Men.
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