Despite being the leader of the X-Men, Cyclops has yet to get his comeuppance on the silver screen. He was completely overshadowed by Wolverine and relegated to bit players in the First Class anthology behind Professor X and Magneto.

This time, Cyclops has to be front and center as the field leader of the X-Men and dare I say the MAIN CHARACTER of this franchise?

Hear me out. Twenty years of neglecting Cyclops and propping up Wolverine has only hurt the franchise. Fox’s X-Men lacked depth in all characters besides Wolverine, Xavier, Magneto, and surprisingly Mystique. I believe the MCU should be pushing the team as a whole this time around. With Cyclops as our focal point, the team becomes more relevant. We’ll have more opportunities to interact and develop the other X-Men Characters.

I always liked stories in which Cyclops comes into conflict with Xavier’s idealism. Recent X-Men storylines have revolved around this premised and have received critical acclaim and amassed cult fandom. We can imitate this on a simpler scale throughout the franchise.

My MCU treatment for Cyclops would see him as the disciplined field leader of the X-Men and poster boy for Xavier’s dream of mutant/human coexistence. But behind his ruby quartz visor is an insecure and guilt-ridden man charged with leading his friends into constant danger. He believes he’s solely responsible for the team’s wellbeing. Needless to say, Angel’s injuries and the death of Thunderbird have rattled him to his core.

We know his values, now let's crush them using all the variables around him. Scott’s franchise arc would be a freefall to rock bottom as the X-Men take hit after hit to their ranks under his leadership. He would slowly grow to believe (and partly be correct) that his adamant following of Xavier’s ideals are a detriment to the team. The catalyst would be finding out a dark secret of this more mysterious Professor X. A secret that will indefinitely change their relationship. Ultimately, Scott’s journey would turn him into a militant revolutionary surpassing Xavier’s dream and creating his own in later movies.

I believe Armie Hammer can embody the quintessential X-Man without question. He has the look, for sure. He stands 6’5” with an athletic frame to match his comic book counterpart. His size also brings an air of maturity to the role. Something James Marsden’s depiction never had a chance to do, instead of being relegated to the jealous boyfriend role. Though Hammer does look like he walked out of a Brooks brother’s catalog, he has a range that should be utilized as Scott Summers is not a one-dimensional character. I can see him bringing the calm demeanor of Oliver (Call Me By Your Name) to field missions, but the uneasy insecurity of the Winklevoss twins in the X-Mansion.

Rachel Evan Wood as Jean Grey

Phoenix