James Marsden secured his first lead role in the ABC series Second Noah (1996) after early television appearances including The Nanny (1993) and Boogies Diner (1994). A pivotal career moment came with his casting as Cyclops in X-Men (2000), a role he reprised throughout the blockbuster franchise. Marsden also became a main cast member of Ally McBeal (2001-2002) and garnered widespread recognition for his role as Lon Hammond Jr. in the romantic drama The Notebook (2004).

Marsden continued to demonstrate his range across genres, appearing in Superman Returns (2006) before showcasing his musical talents as Corny Collins in Hairspray (2007) and Prince Edward in Enchanted (2007), performing two songs in each film. He starred in the romantic comedy 27 Dresses (2008) and the sci-fi thriller The Box (2009). His filmography includes co-starring roles in 2 Guns (2013), portraying John F. Kennedy in Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013), and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).

He reprised his role as Cyclops in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and starred in The Best of Me (2014). Marsden starred as Teddy Flood in HBO’s critically acclaimed series Westworld (2016-2022). He also starred as Steve Wood and Ben Wood in the black comedy series Dead to Me (2019–2022), earning a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination. On the big screen, he starred in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, including Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022).

He starred in Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy Unfrosted (2024) and will reprise his role as Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). Upcoming projects include a main cast role in the thriller series Paradise (2025) and a return as Cyclops in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), furthering his legacy in the iconic superhero franchise.