Disney had many announcements at its D23 showcase tonight, though comic book fans were waiting for one moment in particular: the announcement of which actors would be showing up in the MCU’s X-Men. Now we know. Some of them, anyway.
Only one has been triple confirmed, given that she was a literal co-star in a Spider-Man movie that is about to make $2 billion, but others were just reported, or even rumored. Now, confirmation on at least some roles, with no doubt more to follow. Here’s what we know.
Sadie Sink (Stranger Things, Brand New Day) – Jean Grey
Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, Girls) – Professor Charles Xavier
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Babylon) – Emma Frost
Maya Boyd (Deadbeat) – Storm
Kit Connor (Warfare, Heartstopper) – Cyclops
Adam Driver (Star Wars, The Last Duel) – Mr. Sinister
There have been many, many other names and roles floating around, and it’s clear that Disney could not rush a grand assembly to have the entire movie’s cast show up here. Other rumored roles have been Charles Melton as Beast, for insance. A complete surprise is Inde Navarrette cast as Rogue, a role previously rumored to be going to Cailee Spaeny or Odessa O’Zion. We knew Navarette met with director Jake Schreier, but she implied (I suppose misleadingly) she wanted to be Mystique.
We do not even know who or who is not meant to appear in Jake Schreier’s first X-Men film, the first of many, no doubt, complete with solo spin-offs as Disney’s Marvel enters this uncharted new era for the universe.
We have no full roster, we have no word on if or how they will be integrated into Secret Wars (or possibly even Doomsday). The X-Men film is now confirmed to be out on May 5, 2028.
It’s certainly a promising crop of actors, including some explosive breakout newcomers like Sink, Connor and especially Inde Navarette, who went from almost complete unknown to horror icon to now a famous MCU superhero in a matter of months. Maya Boyd, also, is a Broadway actor and has not starred in a feature film. An amazing part to land for her and probably the biggest surprise of the bunch.
There is a lot riding on the X-Men for the future of the MCU. Not that they will be the only team or characters going forward, of course, but they are a pillar, possibly the pillar of Marvel as a brand. Or at least they were before two decades of Avengers dominance. Now, perhaps, it could be their turn.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.