Shawn Ashmore discusses his hopes for Iceman when the X-Men officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ashmore portrayed Bobby Drake AKA Iceman in four X-Men movies, starting with the original X-Men in 2000. The last time Ashmore played the frozen mutant hero was in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Hugh Jackman reprising Logan in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine set the stage for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to officially reboot the X-Men. Several actors and characters from Fox’s X-Men franchise will appear in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, including Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Ian McKellan as Magneto, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, and James Marsden as Cyclops.
In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Brandon Zachary at Motor City Comic Con, Shawn Ashmore took a walk down memory lane and revealed his happy experiences playing Iceman in the X-Men movies. While the prospect of a new actor playing Iceman is “bittersweet” for Ashmore, he’s also “excited to sort of see whoever takes on that new incarnation and what that’s gonna be.” Read Shawn’s quote below:
Shawn Ashmore: Honestly, I loved almost every element [of being in the X-Men movies]. I grew up reading X-Men and watching the cartoon after school. I mean, that was like right in my wheelhouse. It also changed my life. I’ve been working as an actor for a long time, because I started as a kid. But getting to play a role like that with that much visibility? I mean, my first day on set was with Anna Paquin, who had just won an Oscar!
This was playing at a different level, so it was incredible. It changed my life. The thing that was very exciting was that I’d never done something like a long-running TV show at that point. The experience of every couple of years coming together with the same cast and making a new film together, and then touring the world with the press felt like being part of a family for a while, which was really, really nice. So that whole experience was amazing.
As for whoever is coming in next, because it sounds to me like they’re rebooting the X-Men in the MCU… what was interesting for me is that the take on Bobby Drake that we did in our films was completely different from the books. I think paying attention to the source material is important, including those films. I’m also very sure that the next film is in very good hands. Whatever version of that character they decide to explore will probably be unique from what our version is; just go with the flow. I’m sure whoever they cast will find their own way.
I’m excited! It’s bittersweet because Bobby is a character I love, but I’m like, I’ve played this character. I grew up with this character. I’m almost 50, I can’t keep doing this. [Laughter]. I’m excited to sort of see whoever takes on that new incarnation and what that’s gonna be. As a fan, it’s going to be exciting to see those X-Men films and not be as connected to them, so that I can enjoy them as part of the fandom, as opposed to being behind the curtain. I’m stoked for whatever they come up with.
Shawn Ashmore is understandably protective about Iceman, who is one of the few characters in the X-Men movies who has yet to be recast. Thus far, Ashmore is the only actor to have the life-changing experience of playing Iceman in live-action, a tenure that has now lasted 26 years, although the last time Shawn donned Iceman’s black leather X-suit was in 2014.
Ashmore was only 20 when X-Men premiered in 2000, in which he was romantically paired with Academy Award winner Anna Paquin as Rogue. Iceman and Rogue’s young romance was significant since the X-Men movies depicted the main mutant heroes as older. Iceman and Rogue were throwbacks to Marvel’s original X-Men comics concept of a school for young mutants.
Fox’s X-Men movies took inspiration from and adapted certain X-Men comics stories, notably The Dark Phoenix Saga (twice), but the films also wildly diverged from the Marvel Comics source material. The X-Men movies in every timeline present the mutants in a real-world setting, with themes of racism, diversity, and persecution. X-Men undeniably laid the groundwork for the success of the MCU.
Director Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*) will reboot the X-Men in a new movie after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. In the not-too-distant future, Marvel Studios will announce the next actor to play Iceman. Shawn Ashmore looks forward to watching the next X-Men movie “as a fan,” and cheering on his successor as the frosty heroic mutant.
- Movie(s)
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X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- TV Show(s)
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Video Game(s)
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X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- First Film
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X-Men (2000)
- Character(s)
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Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Comic Release Date
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213035,212968
