Avengers: Doomsday

dropped a bombshell by announcing several returning X-Men, with a chance to redeem one fatal error from the Hugh Jackman Wolverine era. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

is marching towards the end of the Multiverse Saga with announcements for the final chapters, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, finally picking up the pace. And after a spectacular cast list reveal for Avengers: Doomsday that included 27 names of returning characters, it’s exciting to consider what’s in store.

Among the biggest reveals about who will be appearing in Doomsday, there were a whole host of X-Men, with several characters returning from a pre-MCU era. And yet, for all the names listed, it does appear that a glaring omission of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, a character that just recently appeared in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, may be a mistake for the movie. However, if Wolverine is excluded from Doomsday, it does open the door to correcting one issue that came up in the original 2000s trilogy.

Avengers: Doomsday’s Cast Includes X-Men Actors, But No Hugh Jackman

Wolverine Is Nowhere To Be Seen In The X-Men Reunion In Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday already has a stacked cast list, and with more names on the way, it’s easy to see that this movie will be one of the most ambitious and expansive crossovers in the MCU to date. And among the cast, there are several distinct teams, including The Fantastic Four, a group of New Avengers, the Thunderbolts, and even the X-Men, with many actors from the 2000s films set to return. And while the lineup of the X-Men is somewhat unfamiliar, with Charles Xavier and Magneto both returning and potentially teaming up, alongside characters who never made it into the Fox X-Men universe, like Channing Tatum’s Gambit, Hugh Jackman is notably absent.

This makes for an odd change, as, up to this point, Jackman has largely stood out as the most prominent member of the Fox X-Men, appearing in their various reboots, spin-offs, and even getting a solo trilogy outside the main team. And now, after having already migrated to the MCU alongside Ryan Reynolds’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool, Jackman’s Wolverine may actually be excluded from the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. And while this may be a sad reveal for fans of the character and actor, it could stand to be a great choice for the rest of the X-Men.

Doomsday’s X-Men Team Can Fix A Major Fox Movie Mistake

Fox Failed To Create The Correct Dynamic In Their Original X-Men Team

The issue is, when Jackman took on the role of Wolverine in the previous movies, he was kind of too good. He was the perfect casting for that character, and immediately, fans latched on to Jackman’s performance, and Wolverine became the highlight of the series. It was no wonder that he got a spin-off trilogy, and video games, and Jackman kept coming back to play the part in several different films. However, it also meant that the formation of the X-Men was not exactly following the pattern as set out in the comic books and other early adaptations.

Wolverine was never the leader, or even the face of the X-Men. He was a H๏τ head, who frequently acted on impulse, and caused problems for the rest of the team. Of course, he was still a vital team member, and his role as a fighter, protector, and even a teacher all came in extremely useful. But Wolverine was not a leader. Instead, that honor went to other characters who proved that they could keep calm under pressure, strategically coordinate a team of heroes, and lead people to victory. Meanwhile, Wolverine, with an exceptional healing factor, would often rush into battle without much thought for his own safety or that of others.

James Marsden’s Cyclops Could Totally Be Redeemed In Doomsday

Scott Summers Should Have Gotten More Respect In The X-Men Trilogy

While Professor X did stand firm as a leader for the X-Men, and someone who could get through to Logan even at the height of his anger and aggression, James Marsden’s Cyclops ended up looking a lot pettier and less strong due to Wolverine constantly trying to compete. The movies made it clear that Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, was being set up to lead the team in missions. He trained hard, worked to get to know his team, and he was able to get the team to rally around him. But pitting him as a rival against Wolverine, both romantically when it came to winning Jean’s heart, and in terms of his position as a leader, meant that the character failed to win over the audience.

Hugh Jackman is simply too charismatic, Wolverine is too entertaining, and his connection with characters like Rogue and Professor X makes him a clear favorite in the franchise. But with James Marsden’s return in Avengers: Doomsday, there is every opportunity to redeem Cyclops, make him the leader he was always meant to be and give him the opportunity to stand out, without fear of being overshadowed by Wolverine. And even if Hugh Jackman does end up being announced as part of the upcoming film, it needs to ensure that Cyclops does not fade into the background.

Wolverine Could Still Appear In Doomsday, But Not As An X-Man

Wolverine Was In Bad Shape Before His First Appearance In The MCU

Fortunately, if Jackman is brought back to appear in Doomsday, it seems unlikely that he will be playing a Wolverine who is actively involved in the X-Men team. Having just appeared in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, it makes the most sense to bring Jackman back as that version of the hero, which means his Wolverine was a sad, broken individual whose inaction and weakness led to his entire team being killed. That Wolverine did get a chance to redeem himself in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, but he is also very likely to let the rest of the X-Men, like Cyclops, take the lead in their efforts to fight and overcome threats.

In this way, Avengers: Doomsday can build on the progress of the recent Multiverse Saga movie, and avoid tarnishing the reputation and history of the characters established in movies like Logan, which ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine found a clever way to work around. In this capacity, it doesn’t make sense for the upcoming movie to go back on the progress made in these other outings, and rid themselves of an opportunity to get a more comic accurate version of Cyclops. ᴀssuming the writing also follows this idea of a redeemed Scott Summers, Hugh Jackman’s absence or variant of the character would be perfect for Avengers: Doomsday to tell a truly great X-Men story.

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