Marvel star Anthony Mackie shares what his dream Avengers/X-Men team-up would be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s one that could plausibly happen on screen. In an interview with Screen Rant while promoting his new film Sneaks, the Captain America actor raved about his love for the X-Men, mentioning multiple characters by name. In particular, he discussed how big of a Cyclops fan he is, and he also pitched his humorous idea for a Sam Wilson/Nightcrawler pairing that would see the two take to the streets of New Orleans during Mardis Gras.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Look, I am a big Cyclops fan. That’s my favorite X-Men. I have a Cyclops action figure on my keychain that I’ve had since high school,” Mackie said. “When I was in high school, the X-Men cartoon was really big, and this was before the movies. I’ve always been a huge Cyclops fan, and I’m really, really excited – hopefully, knock on wood – for them to be a part of it and come into it. [I’m excited] to hang out with Xavier and Beast and all those guys. But my favorite is Nightcrawler. If I can hang out with one character? Me and Nightcrawler in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras for two weeks, that’s what I do.”
After headlining February’s Captain America: Brave New World, Mackie is reprising Sam Wilson/Captain America in both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. As a continuation of the character’s arc, Sam will be in a leadership role, guiding Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they deal with the arrival of Doctor Doom. Danny Ramirez, who plays Sam’s trusted friend Joaquin Torres, is also set to return for Doomsday.
[RELATED – Avengers: Doomsday Set Photos Reveal Magneto and Cyclops First Look]
In addition to a plethora of characters from various Multiverse Saga projects, Doomsday sees the return of several actors from Fox’s X-Men film series. Among the 27 actors confirmed for Doomsday (so far) are Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn. Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who debuted in Deadpool & Wolverine, is another X-Men-related character who will be featured in Doomsday.
The amount of mutants in Avengers: Doomsday has some fans speculating the film could be an Avengers vs. X-Men movie, but it remains to be seen how the X-Men factor into the narrative. It’s possible directors Joe and Anthony Russo are bringing together various superhero teams from different realities across the Multiverse (Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four), which would open the door for Mackie’s desired team-up. Captain America and Cyclops would make for a fascinating dynamic. Both characters are renowned for their leadership qualities, and they’d probably find kindred spirits in each other. Considering Mackie’s real-life fandom of Cyclops, he would definitely enjoy playing that out on screen.
That said, Marvel has confirmed there are even more Avengers: Doomsday casting announcements still to come at a later date. At a certain point, the ensemble is going to get too large, and it’ll be impossible for the filmmakers to satisfyingly service all of the characters over the course of the movie’s run time. This would be disappointing given the fanfare surrounding their returns, but there’s a chance the X-Men characters don’t have a significant role in Doomsday, playing a smaller part in the overall narrative before giving way to the returning MCU figures. Hopefully Mackie is able to share at least a scene or two with one of his favorites. Part of the fun of the MCU is seeing all these different characters interact with each other.
