James Marsden has enjoyed a successful acting career, notching several beloved projects. But he’s only one of many conventionally handsome Hollywood actors, and sometimes they get confused for each other. In an interview a few years ago, Marsden revealed that fans often mistake him for another leading man. Some have even fantasized about this actor replacing Marsden in one of his signature roles.
James Marsden broke out as Cyclops but has since become a mainstay in comedic projects
Marsden began acting professionally in 1993 and spent the rest of the decade mostly making guest appearances in TV shows. But in 2000, he landed the role of Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops, in the X-Men series. The character is a significant part of the original comics but plays a much smaller role in the movies.
The rest of Marsden’s career has seen him perform in comedies and other lighter fare. He plays Prince Edward in the beloved Disney musical Enchanted and the newly released sequel Disenchanted. He also stars in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies as Tom Wachowski, a small-town sheriff who becomes the titular blue blur’s best buddy.
In addition, Marsden has returned to TV on occasion, playing Teddy Flood in Westworld and Steve Wood/Ben Wood in Netflix’s Dead to Me. For the latter, he earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Fans often think James Marsden is another Hollywood actor
Marsden sat down for an interview on Larry King Now in 2016. King asked the actor about his craziest fan encounters, and he revealed that most were cases of mistaken identity.
“Someone will come up to me on the street and say, ‘I just have to say I grew up watching those films with my father. It was a thing that we did every Sunday — we watched that TV show,” Marsden said, setting up the punchline. “When you did the film, you just brought it back, you know. So, thank you, Chris Pine.”
The movie in question is 2009’s Star Trek. Marsden doesn’t appear in that film. However, Pine stars as Captain Kirk. We have to admit the two bear a passing resemblance.
Both actors have impressive careers defined by their willingness to flit between leading and supporting roles. Still, Pine has acted in more traditional IP-based blockbusters and critically acclaimed indie fare.
Aside from starring in Star Trek, he also appeared in Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984 as Diana’s love interest Steve Trevor. In addition, he played a version of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. And he has acted in original movies such as Hell or High Water and Don’t Worry Darling.
Pine should be used to being compared to other actors by now. For years, a debate has raged over the best Hollywood Chris. Pine’s performances (and his nonchalance during Don’t Worry Darling‘s various pressers) have arguably made him the number-one Hollywood Chris right now.
Fan art imagines Chris Pine as the new Cyclops
It’s only a matter of time before the X-Men return to the big screen as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Only Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige knows if Marsden or the other actors who portrayed the characters in the Fox-produced movies will return. Still, some fans have spent the series’ downtime using their artistic talents to express their opinions about who should play these comic book legends.
In December 2020, Instagram user ApexForm posted an image imagining Pine as Cyclops. The caption under the evocative picture notes the actor’s charisma could bring out the character’s “heroic arrogance and passion.”
Pine would fit with the general vibe of Marvel productions, and not many actors of his pedigree haven’t joined the MCU in some capacity already. We’ll have to see if this fantasy becomes a reality in the coming years.
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