Few actors have been as type cast in as specific a role as James Marsden, whose modern movie characters have begun to take on an eerily similar quality. Across James Marsden’s appearances in movie and TV, a strange pattern has begun to emerge, seeing Marsden share top billing with a variety of CGI animal buddies.

First gaining popularity as Cyclops in the Fox X-Men films, James Marsden has gone on to become a familiar face for many popular franchises, TV shows, and one-off movies. Some of his most popular work includes The Notebook, Superman Returns, Hairspray, 30 Rock, and HBO’s Westworld series, though his chiseled jawline and endearing charm extends far further.

It’s common for actors to become typecast as their careers go on, getting more and more comfortable with a particular type of character, genre, or type of performance. In Marsden’s case, he’s begun to slowly establish a reputation as Hollywood’s go-to lead for movies that cast him opposite CGI creatures.

James Marsden Keeps Getting Cast In Movies Where He Hangs Out With CGI Creatures

It’s A Strangely Specific Trend That’s Hard To Deny

Marsden’s first time sharing the screen with an animated animal companion is still the most forgotten, as even astute observers of this strangely specific phenomenon are quick to forget his appearance in Disney’s offbeat 2007 comedy Enchanted. Here, Marsden plays the affable Prince Edward, a foppish Disney prince who is teleported to the real world alongside a princess.

Coming with him into reality is the chipper chatty chipmunk, Pip. Pip is lovingly animated in a 2-D artstyle calling back to Disney’s golden age in the fairytale world, but in the real world, he becomes a pH๏τorealistic CGI squirrel who has difficulty speaking. Prince Edward and Pip’s scenes together steal the show, with one even becoming a popular TikTok audio trend in recent years.

The next film to feature Marsden sharing the spotlight with an animated animal companion puts more of a spotlight on the idea, whereas Prince Edward and Pip’s shenanigans were more of a B-plot in Enchanted. 2011’s Hop featured Marsden as an out-of-work slacker who falls into a misadventure alongside the Easter Bunny’s rebellious teenage successor.

Hop is just as unimpressive as its premise sounds, and was critically panned as a failed, awkward attempt at an Easter-themed comedy. However, there were a few bright spots to be found in Marsden’s odd chemistry with his computer-generated pal, officially solidifying the bizarre hyper-specific subgenre into a real boon to his career.

Of course, the movies to really take the idea of James Marsden hanging out with a fuzzy CGI mascot to the next level are the Sonic the Hedgehog films. James Marsden’s Tom, affectionately referred to as “donut lord”, is Sonic’s surrogate human father, teaching him human morals and values while helping him save the world from Doctor Eggman.

Sadly, Tom has become more and more sidelined as the movies continue, being crowded out by new additions like Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow. In the most recent film, he even spends most of the entire third act on the brink of death. However, Tom and Sonic represent the epitome of the charm James Marsden can unleash alongside an animated CGI animal sidekick.

Why James Marsden Is So Great In This Particular Niche

Working With CGI Critters Isn’t As Easy As It Seems

Working with entirely animated characters as a live-action actor is certainly no easy feat. The distinguished English actor Ian McKellen famously almost quit acting after working on Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films, being driven to the point of tears upon having to work with CGI dwarves in an entirely green screen environment.

Yet somehow, James Marsden manages to react to and riff off of his scene companions as if they are really there. This speaks volumes to the dedication of the filmmakers of Hop, Enchanted, and Sonic the Hedgehog, giving him clear reference points to work with. But it takes a real powerful imagination to manufacture chemistry with an actual cartoon.

Future Movies James Marsden Could Star In Alongside CGI Critters

Marsden’s Next Cartoon Companion Might Be Closer Than You Think

James Marsden’s career working with CGI companions may just be getting started. The confirmation of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 proves that Marsden’s affinity for adorable fuzzy animated critters is strong enough to hold a franchise together past a third movie and possibly beyond.

However, there are other places Marsden may be continuing this oddly specific trend in his career. The return of Cyclops in Avengers: Doomsday could see him share the screen with one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s many CGI characters, with Rocket Raccoon being the most fitting choice by far.

James Marsden’s New Movie Trend Is Far More Flattering Than His Old One

Better An Animal Lover Than A Failed Love Interest

Being used for so many family-friendly blockbusters to bounce off of a goofy cartoon character might be seen as an embarrᴀssing trend to inhabit for some, but it’s a far more flattering bit of typecasting compared to James Marsden’s previous niche. Before he drove around cute CGI buddies, he was known for being the rejected romance option.

Between The Notebook, X-Men: The Last Stand, Superman Returns, and even Enchanted, Marsden was previously best known for being the second-fiddle lead who never gets the girl, despite obviously having good intentions. It’s probably better that James Marsden is known for kicking it with wacky CGI creatures than being the second choice in every love story.