See Jensen Ackles As Cyclops In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Fan artist 21XFOUR post his imagining of Jensen Ackles as Cyclops of the X-Men.
The artist 21XFOUR is at it again. In the artist’s series of realistic paintings that bring casting rumors to life, 21XFOUR has given fans a look at The Boys actor Jensen Ackles as the X-Men’s leader, Cyclops. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has long teased the appearance of the X-Men in the MCU, but so far there have been no official casting announcements.
Jensen Ackles suited up as Cyclops is a sight to behold. The art takes inspiration from the ’90s Cyclops costume design; the suit has a blue base with yellow accents and covers the neck and back of the head up to his visor. Ackles’ strong jaw, ears, and hair are left exposed around a visor design that modernizes the look of Cyclops’ laser-controlling apparatus from the ’90s.
Ackles amassed a solid fan base during his 15-season run on The CW’s Supernatural, and has tread into superhero territory as Soldier Boy on Amazon’s The Boys and as the voice of Batman in the animated film Batman: The Long Halloween. He will reprise the role of Batman in the DC animated movie Legion of Super-Heroes. Ackles teased a possible return to The Boys for the show’s fourth season, but the news has not yet been confirmed.
Jensen Ackles isn’t the only actor fans have imagined in the role of Cyclops. Other artists have rendered the likes of Henry Cavill and Chris Pine in the role, all of whom have made the rounds in the Marvel rumor mill. Another actor who has gained considerable traction for the role among fans on social media is Glen Powell.
Powell is best known for his roles in Hidden Figures and Top Gun: Maverick, in which he played the arrogant Hangman. Glen Powell, at least as much as Jensen Ackles, looks the part of Cyclops, and the internet buzzed so much about Powell in the role that the actor had to dispel the rumors in Newsweek. “I’m a fan of all those movies, they do great stuff,” Powell said of the MCU, “but I know nobody’s talked to me so it’s really funny how those things catch fire, isn’t it?”
Whether Henry Cavill, Glen Powell, Jensen Ackles, or anyone else captures the role of Cyclops, it seems the character’s introduction to the MCU is imminent. The question on everyone’s mind is: how?
The MCU used to be contained within the parameters of movies made by Marvel Studios, and was limited to the characters the studio had exclusive rights to. Seismic shifts behind the scenes have led Marvel Studios to open the multiverse, creating unprecedented storytelling opportunities. Loki and the upcoming films Ant-Man: Quantumania and Deadpool 3 are set to further explore the multiverse, and could pave a way for Jensen Ackles to enter the MCU as Cyclops.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set the stage for the X-Men in its own way, introducing Namor as the canon’s first big-screen mutant. Where that thread leads is a secret locked in the vault of Kevin Feige’s mind. As fans await the arrival of mutants in the MCU, they can turn to artists like 21XFOUR for a glimpse at a future where Jensen Ackles plays Cyclops, Ryan Gosling embodies the Silver Surfer, and much, much more.
