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The roster of actors lost in 2026 continues to expand, with Eric Dane being the latest to be mourned on February 19. Dane, who bravely shared his battle with ALS after his diagnosis last spring, passed away at 53. While many remember him fondly as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan from “Grey’s Anatomy,” he also captivated audiences with his recent role in HBO’s “Euphoria.” His career spanned numerous projects, including a notable appearance as a Marvel character in 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand.”
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The third installment of the “X-Men” series was known for its crowded cast, which might explain why Dane’s role as Jamie “Multiple Man” Madrox is often overlooked. Despite this, his character made a memorable impression with six replicas appearing in his debut scene and at least three in another, highlighting his impact even with limited screen time.
After “X-Men: The Last Stand,” the franchise took a hiatus, excluding the standalone Wolverine films. Apart from Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, most characters from the series vanished until “Days of Future Past” in 2014, with Multiple Man notably absent from the lineup.
However, the “Deadpool” series began reviving some of these characters. With “Deadpool & Wolverine” featuring numerous cameos, actors from previous X-Men films found opportunities to return. Eric Dane was among those hopeful for a comeback. In an August 2024 interview with Bleeding Cool, while promoting “One Fast Move,” Dane expressed his desire for a standalone Multiple Man movie, stating, “I always thought Multiple Man would make a great standalone movie and think Marvel should make that. I wouldn’t mind returning and starring in that.” Sadly, he will not have the chance to see that vision realized.
Dane wanted to star in a solo Multiple Man film
20th Century Fox
After “X-Men: The Last Stand,” the Fox X-Men series took a long break — with the exception of the solo Wolverine movies. So, other than Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, the majority of the X-Men characters from that franchise weren’t seen again until “Days of Future Past” in 2014. Unfortunately, Multiple Man wasn’t one of them.Â
But when the “Deadpool” movies started to dust off some of those Fox X-Men characters — the cameo-filled “Deadpool & Wolverine” in particular — anyone who ever appeared in an X-Men movie (or any Marvel movie under the 20th Century umbrella) suddenly saw a way back in. And that included Eric Dane, who said as much when talking to Bleeding Cool in August 2024 about his new movie “One Fast Move.” Dane told the outlet, “I always thought Multiple Man would make a great standalone movie and think Marvel should make that. I wouldn’t mind returning and starring in that.” Unfortunately, he would not get that chance.