The Marvel Cinematic Universe consistently treats the public to new content, in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Avengers: Doomsday, which will feature a huge ensemble cast of characters. After Marvel's live-stream revealed Doomsday's cast included a number of the OG X-Men actors, and Iceman actor Shawn Ashmore got real about whether or not he might return.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but the cast list offered "some not all" of the actors who will appear. The X-Men movies were in around before the MCU, so it's thrilling that so many of the original actors are returning. During an interview with Nerd Reactor, Ashmore was asked if he'll pop up as Bobby. He got real, saying:
So this is the weird part of it. It’s like, if I was, I couldn’t say that I was, but I’m not. There’s been no contact. I’m not cast in it. I mean, I’ve been getting that since the last Deadpool movie. Everyone’s like, ‘Are you in it?’ And I’m like, ‘No.’ And they’re like, ‘Okay [winks].’ But no, no, I’m actually not. And again, I’m always open to coming back and playing that character. But yeah, so far, no, no contact.
Since Marvel security is notoriously tight, it's rare to get an honest answer from actors about Avengers: Doomsday. And while Ashmore clarified he wouldn't be able to tell the truth if he was returning as Iceman, it doesn't sound like he's has any conversations with the powers that be at the studio. So we probably shouldn't hold our breath for the return of the cryokinetic mutant.
Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have not-so-patiently been waiting for the X-Men to join the fun. Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox opened the door for this, but Kevin Feige and company haven't rushed to give the mutants their own movie. But worlds will really collide when Avengers: Doomsday brings back a number of beloved characters from the previous X-Men franchise.
While Shawn Ashmore's name wasn't included in the big Doomsday announcement, a number of his costars were. Specifically, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, Ian McKellen's Magneto, Kelsey Grammer's Beast, Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler, James Marsden's Cyclops, and Rebecca Romijn's Mystique. That's already a big group of X-Men, but fans are still hoping for even more of the OGs to return. Case in point: Ashmore's questions about Bobby/Iceman.
Of course, the 45 year-old actor isn't the only X-Men alum that's been asked about returning recently. For instance, Halle Berry also claimed to not be in Doomsday. But after seeing Andrew Garfield lie for years about Spider-Man, fans don't really believe superhero actors nowadays.
All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters May 1st, 2026. But first up is Thunderbolts*, arriving May 2nd as part of the 2025 movie release list.
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