UPDATE 5/26/25 – 3:47 pm ET: In further X-Men MCU announcements, James Marsden was announced to return as Cyclops in Avengers Doomsday.
After hours of what many online have dubbed one of the most tedious and overlong Marvel announcement videos in recent memory, something finally managed to break through the fog of mediocrity: the confirmed return of Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romjin, and Ian McKellen to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, officially bringing the X-Men into the MCU.
Yes, you read that right. In a sea of Z-list introductions and awkward promotion, the revelation that all five veteran actors would reprise their iconic X-Men roles gave longtime fans a rare reason to sit up and pay attention.
The announcement tweet for Marvel’s Avengers cast – X, @MarvelStudios
Broadcast live on X, the event has featured a single camera trained on a quiet set with director’s chairs. Every 15 minutes or so, the camera dramatically pulls back to reveal another chair emblazoned with a new name—most of them either unfamiliar, unremarkable, or downright confusing. It’s a painfully slow drip-feed of content that seems more suited to avant-garde performance art than a multi-billion-dollar entertainment franchise.
Patrick Stewart as Professor X in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness – Disney+
Patrick Stewart has long been considered the definitive Professor X, having portrayed the leader of the X-Men since the original 2000’s X-Men film. His portrayal brought gravitas, wisdom, and a touch of Shakespearean authority to the franchise. Stewart reprised the role multiple times across Fox’s X-Men film series and most recently returned for a brief but memorable appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When his return was announced, Marvel even played the iconic theme music from the 1990s X-Men animated series, further fueling nostalgia among longtime fans.
Kelsey Grammer, meanwhile, debuted as the intellectually brilliant and blue-furred Dr. Hank McCoy, better known as Beast, in X-Men: The Last Stand. Despite the film’s mixed reception, Grammer’s performance stood out for capturing both the elegance and underlying ferocity of the character. He also returned for a brief cameo in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and most recently appeared as an all-CGI version of the character in the post-credit scene of The Marvels, teasing further X-Men integration into the MCU.
Kelsey Grammar as The Best in the post-credit scene for The Marvels – YouTube, Just Chillin Clippin
And now, joining them is none other than Sir Ian McKellen, confirmed to return presumably as Magneto. McKellen’s portrayal of the master of magnetism brought gravitas, menace, and complexity to one of Marvel’s most iconic antagonists. Since his first appearance in X-Men, McKellen has served as the perfect foil to Stewart’s Professor X, creating a dynamic that fans have long cherished. His return adds another layer of legacy appeal and nostalgia to the otherwise disjointed modern MCU.
Also coming out of left field, Alan Cumming was also announced, presumably stepping back into the role of Nightcrawler, the teleporting mutant he first portrayed in X2: X-Men United. Maybe he can get more than one action scene this time!
It was also announced that Rebecca Romjin will be coming back for the X-Men MCU debut, presumably reprising her role as Mystique. She played the character for all three of the original X-Men movies and made a brief cameo in X-Men First Class.
Now, with the MCU finally absorbing the remnants of the Fox X-Men universe, the return of these veteran actors brings a welcome sense of continuity and respect for the characters’ cinematic legacies. In an age where Marvel seems increasingly eager to push unknowns like Simu Liu and Tenoch Huerta Mejia as household names (to very little success), seeing established, fan-favorite performers back in action offers a nostalgic could be seen as a genuinely exciting development by some.
Rebecca Romjin as Mystique in X-Men – Disney+
Whether this means more substantial roles in future MCU projects or just another round of multiverse cameos remains to be seen. But for once, Marvel gave fans a reason to care—even if it took them hours of yawns and filler to get there.
Do you want to see the X-Men in the MCU? Sound off in the comments below and let us know!
