Jensen Ackles Cast As X-Men's Cyclops In MCU Fanart You'll Never Be Able To Unsee
As far as iconic Marvel characters go, Cyclops is pretty far up the list. With his special ability to fire bursts of energy from his eyes, he is one of the most powerful X-Men out there, and he's frequently depicted as one of the mutant team's key leaders. Many superhero film fans are likely most familiar with the iterations of the character from Fox's X-Men movies, in which he is portrayed by actors James Marsden, Tim Pocock, and Tye Sheridan. With a new actor presumably taking on the role when the X-Men join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fan art provides a glimpse at what the character might look like if played by a "Supernatural" alum.
On their Instagram account, fan artist @21xfour posted a mock-up illustration of none other than Jensen Ackles donning Cyclops' signature look. The image features Ackles' likeness wearing a blue superhero suit with yellow accents, clearly reminiscent of the character's typical comic book outfit and the uniform that Tye Sheridan's version wears in his cinematic appearances. Of course, he's also wearing the mutant's iconic visor, obscuring his eyes. Overall, it's quite a striking mock-up, and it might just leave viewers thinking about the possibility of Ackles being cast as Cyclops for a good while after.
What are the chances of Ackles playing Cyclops?
While @21xfour's artwork depicting Jensen Ackles as the MCU's Cyclops is convincing, fans may wonder whether there's any realistic chance of the actor getting cast. At the time of this article's publishing, it's unknown whether the MCU's X-Men will even include Cyclops and, if it does, who will play him. Glen Powell has been rumored to be portraying Cyclops, but he pushed back on the idea. Ackles has yet to join the MCU, so it's possible he could wind up in the X-Men reboot. However, there's not much evidence out there supporting it.
Previously, various outlets reported that Ackles was considered by Marvel Studios for Captain America — a claim that the actor has since debunked. However, that's not to say he's completely opposed to playing such a character. "I think it was an internet rumor that people thought would be a good idea," he told Men's Health. "And I guess some people reacted to it and continued to push that rumor along. But in my mind, I was like, 'I wish!' I've heard that there was a short list of people, and I was one of the names on the shortlist — but it never got to me!"
Of course, Ackles is no stranger to the world of superheroes. In live-action, he portrayed the twisted Captain America analog Soldier Boy in Prime Video's "The Boys." In animation, he provided the voice of Batman on several occasions; he also indicated that he'd like to portray the character in the live-action DC Universe.