Although Rocketman star Taron Egerton has again dismissed persistent Wolverine rumors as little more than fancasting, he confirmed he had "a real conversation" with Fox about playing a young Cyclops in the studio's X-Men prequels. However, the conversation never progressed, for one tangible reason: the mutant hero's Ruby-Quartz glasses.
"I don't mind saying it: That was a real thing, that was a real conversation," Egerton said in a recent episode of SiriusXM's "Sway in the Morning." "I've never said this, actually. To be honest, the reason that conversation never went anywhere further is because I didn't want to play a character for a potential series of movies where you don't see my eyes."
In the Fox films, as in Marvel comics, Cyclops wears glasses, or a visor, made from the fictional Ruby-Quartz, the only known naturally occurring substance known to block his optic blasts. Without those lenses, Cyclops (aka Scott Summers) is unable to open his eyes without destroying virtually everything in his line of sight.
"For me, I felt, instinctively, creatively, that -- like, the eyes are the windows to the soul," Egerton continued. "I would find that challenging, and I just didn't find it an intriguing prospect. It's not that they ever offered it to me, but there was a conversation -- a real conversation -- that never went any further."
Who Played Cyclops in Fox's X-Men Franchise
James Marsden originated the role of Cyclops in the 2000 film X-Men, with Tye Sheridan introduced as the young Scott Summers in the 2016 prequel X-Men: Apocalypse. Sheridan reprised the role for a fleeting cameo in 2018's Deadpool 2, followed by a more central part in 2019's Dark Phoenix. That was the final installment of the Fox franchise, released amid Disney's acquisition of the studio's assets.
Egerton's creative reservations about the Cyclops role may have proved prescient for the actor's career. Apocalypse received mixed reviews, but its sequel, Dark Phoenix infamously bombed, both commercially and critically. While Egerton is no stranger to cinematic duds -- 2018's Robin Hood was an indisputable flop -- he's drawn acclaim for his starring roles in Eddie the Eagle and Rocketman. He currently stars in, and executive produces, Black Bird, the Apple TV+ true-crime drama.
Marvel's plans for the X-Men franchise came roaring back into the social-media spotlight last week, as rumors swirled the studio intended to announce its reboot, purportedly titled The Mutants, at Comic-Con International in San Diego. However, no X-Men announcement was made during the Hall H presentation. What's more, "The Mutants" name appears to be based on an unsubstantiated report from March 2021.
Source: YouTube