There’s one iconic Marvel romance I want Marvel Studios to feature in the upcoming X-Men reboot in the MCU, and it doesn’t involve Cyclops and Jean Grey. There has recently been huge speculation about the casting of a new X-Men team, and, while I can’t wait to see the classic team back in action in Avengers: Doomsday, I’m very excited to see a new version of the X-Men team in the MCU. Marvel Studios has the opportunity to explore new mutant stories in the MCU, which makes me hopeful that one romance will finally be featured.

Marvel Studios has recently confirmed that several members of the X-Men team from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise will be returning in Avengers: Doomsday. This includes James Marsden, whose version of Scott Summers’ Cyclops was involved in one of the franchise’s most notable romances, partnering him with Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey. While I reckon Marvel will revive this romance for Avengers: Doomsday, and I can see Cyclops and Jean Grey having a key role in the X-Men’s MCU future, I want a very different romance to finally be included in live-action instead.

I’m Bored Of Cyclops & Jean Grey’s Romance After Fox’s X-Men Franchise

Fox Focused Too Much On Cyclops & Jean Grey’s Love Story

James Marsden and Famke Janssen debuted as Scott Summers and Jean Grey in 2000’s X-Men, and they quickly established themselves as one of the foremost romances in Fox’s X-Men franchise. This continued in X2: X-Men United and came to an end with Cyclops’ death in X-Men: The Last Stand, but went nowhere and wasn’t developed at all prior to The Last Stand. The most interesting thing about this romance was the tension that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine caused, but I even found that this got old remarkably quickly.

Cyclops and Jean Grey’s romantic relationship in Fox’s X-Men franchise didn’t see any of the development that the pair’s love story in Marvel Comics did. They were never married, never had kids, never explored the Madelyne Pryor storyline and never really had any difficulties, aside from Wolverine’s intrusion. I have no doubt that Marvel Studios will handle the relationship between Jean Grey and Cyclops much better, as this is one of Marvel’s most iconic romances, but I can’t help wanting other, underutilized couples to be explored instead.

Fox Never Brought Gambit & Rogue Together On-Screen In Live-Action

I Want To See Gambit & Rogue Team Up In The MCU

One couple that I would much prefer to be spotlighted in the MCU’s new X-Men stories is that of Gambit and Rogue, which was never featured even remotely in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Anna Paquin portrayed a not-very-comic-accurate version of Rogue in the X-Men franchise, while Taylor Kitsch played Gambit in his sole X-Men franchise appearance in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The pair have never met in live-action, and a romance between the differently-aged mutants would have been pretty inappropriate anyway, but I would love for Marvel Studios to change this.

Gambit and Rogue’s romance has been explored in other media, including the animated X-Men ’97 revival series, which took a deep dive into their relationship. I have loved seeing this finally brought to the screen, and would be thrilled to get it in live-action, and, frankly, I find the relationship between Gambit and Rogue much more interesting and exciting than that between Cyclops and Jean Grey. I hope Marvel Studios takes the opportunity to finally depict this iconic romance on-screen, and I think we might be one step closer after a major new reveal.

Gambit’s MCU Debut & Return In Avengers: Doomsday Brings His Romance With Rogue 1 Step Closer

Channing Tatum Is Returning As Gambit After ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine

After almost two decades of lobbying to play the iconic Cajun mutant, Channing Tatum finally made his live-action debut as Remy LeBeau’s Gambit in 2024’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. His depiction of Gambit received huge praise, leading to speculation that he’d return for a solo MCU movie or be featured in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot. While I don’t really think either of these two avenues would work for Channing Tatum’s Gambit, the fact that he’s returning to the MCU in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday makes me hopeful that his and Rogue’s relationship can finally be adapted.

A number of classic X-Men actors will be joining Channing Tatum in Avengers: Doomsday, and while Anna Paquin hasn’t yet been confirmed, her return as Rogue would confirm Gambit and Rogue coming together in live-action for the first time ever. Channing Tatum’s Gambit and Anna Paquin’s Rogue seem much more age-appropriate for each other, and, should the latter get a comic-accurate makeover, they would have fantastic energy together. Avengers: Doomsday might be the last chance to see Channing Tatum and Anna Paquin’s Marvel characters together, but the MCU could still set up a bright future for Gambit and Rogue.

Gambit & Rogue’s Romance Being Explored In The MCU Will Make Both Better Characters

Gambit & Rogue Have Been Routinely Failed In Live-Action

Marvel Studios is reportedly in the process of casting a new roster of stars for the MCU’s official X-Men reboot and its related projects, which we’ve heard could include a series exploring Marvel Comics’ Academy X storylines. Given speculation that Marvel is looking for a younger cast of mutants, I don’t see Tatum and Paquin reprising their roles permanently, since both are in their 40s. This means that Gambit and Rogue will likely be recast for the MCU’s future, which means their romantic relationship can be explored from the very beginning and grow more gradually.

Given the care and attention that Marvel Studios has shown members of the X-Men in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, I’m hopeful that Gambit and Rogue will also get a comic-accurate makeover. 20th Century Fox failed Gambit and Rogue repeatedly, but exploring their romance provides the perfect opportunity to make both more central to the development of the X-Men. This would also make them both more empathetic, humanized and lovable heroes, which would seriously benefit the upcoming X-Men reboot and the MCU generally.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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