Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has revealed some of the comic book company's most legendary heroes, such as the X-Men and Tony Stark, will be recast at some point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In a press briefing on Friday, Feige confirmed that the studio plans to recast several characters in the beloved media franchise. Feige stated that the X-Men will be recast for their official debut in the MCU, following the events of Avengers: Secret Wars, which is set to hit theaters in 2027. The upcoming X-Men film will be directed by Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts) and will feature new actors taking over iconic roles once held by Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, and others.
While several original cast members from FOX's X-Men franchise, including Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming, and Kelsey Grammer, will reprise their roles in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, Feige made it clear that Secret Wars will mark a turning point in the franchise. After that, the mutants will be fully integrated into the MCU with new actors and actresses playing them.
Because of this new storyline, Feige confirmed Marvel will eventually recast Tony Stark and Steve Rogers later down the line, in addition to the X-Men. Feige added that it would be hard picturing anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans playing those roles, but it's not something that can't be done.
"I think it's hard for anybody to do that when an actor has done such a great role," Feige admitted. "How are they going to ever replace Sean Connery [as James Bond], right?"
The decision to recast these characters aligns with changes made to Marvel Comics following the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline, which highlighted the destruction of the Marvel Multiverse and its subsequent rebuilding.
"We're utilizing that [story] not just to round out the stories we've been telling post-‘Endgame,' just as importantly — and you can look at the at the 'Secret Wars' comics for where that takes you — it very, very much sets us up for the future," Feige said. "'Endgame,' literally, was about endings. 'Secret Wars' is about beginnings."
Feige had also resisted the term "reboot," preferring to call the upcoming change a "reset": "Reboot is a scary word. Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we're thinking along those lines [...] X-Men is where that will happen next."
ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25–26, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more. Get your tickets now.
