Before Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Is Hyping Up The Most Disrespected X-Men Hero

Before Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Is Hyping Up The Most Disrespected X-Men Hero

by

In the comics, Scott Summers’ Cyclops is one of the most important X-Men ever created. One of Professor X’s first students, Scott has been a longtime field leader of the X-Men, and is also one of Marvel’s greatest tacticians. That said, Cyclops has struggled to receive the respect and appreciation he deserves on screen.

The problem largely stems from Fox’s X-Men franchise. While Scott Summers actor James Marsden did the best he could, Cyclops was ultimately wasted in the original X-Men trilogy of movies, and was rarely allowed the live-action X-Men the opportunity to showcase why he’s one of Marvel Comics’ best characters.

Thankfully, things are heading in a much better direction for Cyclops, especially with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon and Marsden’s confirmed return as Cyclops, complete with a comic-accurate yellow-and-blue suit the character has never worn in live-action before (and it’s about time). However, Marvel is doing even more to ensure audiences are hyped for Cyclops in the months before Doomsday’s release.

Cyclops Finally Joins Marvel Rivals’ Roster Of Heroes

Marvel Rivals Cyclops default MVP animation screen

Since its launch in 2024, Marvel Rivals has become one of Marvel’s biggest success stories, an immensely popular 6v6 hero shooter that continually adds new content and heroes to its growing roster of playable characters. This includes the game’s most recent addition, the highly anticipated Cyclops.

As a Duelist hero, Scott Summers’ Cyclops excels at controlling contested areas and applying constant pressure with his optic blasts. Forcing opponents to constantly be on the move, his blasts can even ricochet and strike around corners. Cyclops also has some impressive mobility, allowing him to create distance and close in on the enemy team as needed. Likewise, Scott’s ultimate ability, “Ruby Rage,” is particularly devastating, allowing Cyclops to unleash the full power of his optic energy in one massive attack.

Cyclops’ addition to Marvel Rivals is coming at the perfect time. As more and more players learn how to use Cyclops, interest in the character overall will no doubt grow as well. That’s excellent for Marvel Studios with James Marsden reprising his role as Cyclops in Avengers: Doomsday at the end of this year.

X-Men ’97 Season 2 Will Also Give Cyclops A Spotlight Before Doomsday

Jean Grey and Cyclops in X-Men '97 season 2
Jean Grey and Cyclops in X-Men ’97 season 2
via Disney+

It’s also worth noting that Marvel Rivals isn’t the only project helping restore Cyclops’ reputation this summer.

X-Men ’97’s first season did a tremendous amount of work rehabilitating Scott’s image, making him the effective leader and tactician he always should have been in live-action with some of the coolest animated Marvel scenes of all time. Now, X-Men ’97 season 2 looks ready to continue that exciting momentum.

Premiering at the beginning of July, the next chapter of X-Men ’97 is expected to place several key mutants back in the spotlight, with Cyclops remaining one of the team’s central figures as the X-Men are separated in both the past and future. Given how strongly audiences responded to Scott’s portrayal in the first season, there’s every reason to believe Marvel will continue highlighting his strengths as the critically acclaimed series continues.



















Marvel · Mutant Profile
Which X-Men Character Are You?
“Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.”


Wolverine
The Loner


Professor X
The Visionary


Magneto
The Survivor

01

Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do?



02

Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move?



03

A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into?



04

A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond?



05

A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do?



06

What’s your biggest flaw?



07

Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move?



08

What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants?



Cerebro Scan Complete
Your X-Men Identity

Wolverine (Logan)

“I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.”
You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.

Fierce
Protective
Resilient
Untamed

Professor X (Charles Xavier)

“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.”
You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.

Visionary
Empathetic
Diplomatic
Hopeful

Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)

“Peace was never an option.”
You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.

Resolute
Strategic
Ruthless
Unyielding

Again, the timing couldn’t be better, seeing as how Avengers: Doomsday is right around the corner. Despite being one of the X-Men’s most important members, Scott rarely received the same level of attention afforded to Wolverine, Magneto, or Professor X in the previous X-Men movie franchise from Fox, and especially not after Cyclops was killed in the first act of X-Men: The Last Stand.

Marvel Rivals and X-Men ’97 will undoubtedly serve as incredibly popular vehicles that will help remind audiences of what makes Cyclops such a great Marvel hero ahead of his live-action return in Doomsday. When put all together, 2026 should very much be considered the long-overdue Cyclops comeback tour (and I’m so here for it).

Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters on December 18th from Marvel Studios.


avengers-doomsday-poster.jpg


Release Date

December 18, 2026

  • Chris Hemsworth Profile Picture

  • Headshot Of Vanessa Kirby

    Vanessa Kirby

    Sue Storm / Invisible Woman

  • Headshot Of Joseph Quinn In The Premiere Of A Quiet Place: Day One

    Johnny Storm / Human Torch

  • Headshot of Ebon Moss-Bachrach

    Ebon Moss-Bachrach

    Ben Grimm / The Thing


Leave a Comment