“Justice For” is a new series on E Watches TV, where I talk about a character that I feel deserved better than what they got. Today’s subject: The many characters of James Marsden!

James Marsden is a pretty famous actor. Even if his name isn’t ringing any bells, you’d probably recognize his face immediately. Perhaps you’ve seen him as Scott “Cyclops” Summers in the X-Men franchise, or as the handsome fairytale Prince Edward from Disney’s Enchanted. He’s been around for a long time, recently playing the kind-hearted/ill-fated Teddy Flood on HBO’s sci-fi drama Westworld. So, why do I think this steadily employed Hollywood actor is in need of justice? It’s simple. I don’t know why, but a very large amount of Mr. Marsden’s character profile includes characters who are given the short end of the stick. 

Planning this post, I was able to think of 6 roles off the top of my head where James Marsden plays a kind-hearted, good intentioned man who is either dumped or cheated on in favor of an emotionally/physically unavailable bad boy. I’m not ignorant to the idea of type-casting, but this case is so strangely specific. And it really doesn’t make sense. James Marsden has leading man charisma. 

When you watch The Notebook, you want to dislike Lon because you know Ally is meant to be with Noah, but Lon isn’t the traditional jerk boyfriend-type. He’s a good guy. He even handles getting cheated on right before his wedding with extreme grace. If anything, you pity the poor guy. This parallels Richard White, Marsden’s character in Superman Returns. We know Lois Lane is fated to be with Superman. That’s just the way it is, but you still feel for Richard. Especially when you realize that he’s been unknowingly raising Superman’s son. 

As aforementioned, James Marsden is probably most known for his role as Scott Summers, a.k.a Cyclops. Which is fitting because this role is also the best and most egregious example of what I am going to call “The Marsden Anomaly”. Jean Grey and Scott had been together for years before Wolverine joined the X-Men, but his arrival quickly throws a wrench in their relationship. This love-triangle has been present in the Marvel Universe for years, but the way the movies portray the situation is just a mess. Scott’s entire characterization becomes “the jealous clingy boyfriend, who happens to superhero on the side”, which was disappointing because I still think that James Marsden was a great choice for Cyclops. And then they just killed him! Sure, he comes back to life later due to the events of X-Men: Days of Future’s Past, but that’s not the point. Plus, I’m not even trying to begin to pretend I understand their new timeline.

Maybe I am alone in caring about this. I mean, besides my sister, who I know wholeheartedly agrees with me. I just think James deserves to be in more movies where he doesn’t portray the second choice. And of course, i know that all of his roles do not possess this recurring component. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m sure Tika Sumpter doesn’t leave his character for Sonic the Hedgehog in the new live-action movie. At least, I hope not.