With D23 just two weeks away, the rumor mill is in overdrive as we brace ourselves for Marvel Studios to potentially reveal the main cast of their long-awaited X-Men reboot. Based on a new report from a reliable insider, we may finally have an idea of what to expect.
Shortly after reports surfaced that Samara Weaving (Ready or Not; Carolina Caroline) had been cast as Emma Frost in the Jake Schreier-directed film, The InSneider revealed that Charles Melton (May December; Riverdale) and Cailee Spaeny (Civil War; Alien: Romulus) are on the verge of closing deals to play Beast and Rogue, respectively—barring any unforeseen developments.
He adds that Drew Starkey (Outer Banks; Queer) is currently the favorite for Cyclops, though it isn't a done deal just yet. As for Professor X, the race is reportedly down to Bill Skarsgård (It; Nosferatu) and Tom Pelphrey (Ozark; Task), who were named as finalists last month.
Curiously, everything has been quiet on the Storm front, and Sneider believes this is because Ryan Coogler is actively involved in her casting search, which makes sense considering she is set to play a key role in Black Panther 3.
Speaking of the Black Panther threequel—which recently announced David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus; Industry) as T'Challa II—the rest of the cast is quietly taking shape as well. Letitia Wright (Black Panther; Avengers: Endgame) and Winston Duke (Black Panther; Us) were confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con last month, and it's an open secret that Denzel Washington (Training Day; Gladiator II) is attached to play a villain. Now, Sneider has learned that Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out; Black Panther) is set to reprise his role as W'Kabi after sitting out the previous installment.
X-Men and Black Panther 3 are tentatively scheduled to begin production within weeks of each other, meaning whoever is cast as Storm will likely be pulling double duty next year. Furthermore, if X-Men is this close to filming, it seems almost certain to occupy Marvel's open May 2028 release slot.
Moving on to another rumored 2028 release, Sneider notes that Ryan Gosling (Barbie; La La Land) will indeed play Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider and is expected to make his MCU debut in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars before headlining his solo vehicle. While casting for the Shawn Levy-directed feature hasn't officially begun, his sources say Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat; Ironheart) will appear as Mephisto, but not as the main villain.
Additionally, though it's early in the process, Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl; Jack Reacher) is reportedly being eyed to play Blaze's love interest.
There is no official production start date yet, but filming is expected to kick off next year, with shooting locations including California, Nevada, and Oregon. Sneider also notes that Johnny Blaze is expected to be the only Ghost Rider to appear in the film. Jonathan Tropper is penning the script.
As for why Levy chose to reteam with Gosling for Ghost Rider over Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool 4, the script for the latter is reportedly much further out than previously believed, so it may be a while before we see a true follow-up to Deadpool & Wolverine.
Sneider closed his newsletter with details on the shocking cancellation of Wonder Man. It appears Marvel Studios is pivoting away from live-action television, at least for the most part. The studio wants to make its theatrical releases feel special again, believing that an influx of TV shows diluted the brand—much like what happened with Star Wars.
We'll still get animated and youth-focused projects like X-Men '97, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Spidey and His Amazing Friends, which are essentially designed to bring younger audiences into the MCU fold before they transition to live-action stories. However, this strategy shift means we likely won't see shows centered on lesser-known characters like Wonder Man—explaining why rumored series like Nova were suddenly redeveloped into feature films.
An exception to the rule, however, seem to be projects like VisionQuest - based on a character from the Avengers films - and shows like Daredevil: Born Again, which already have massive built-in fanbases.
Despite the disappointing update on Wonder Man, Sneider hints that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen; Aquaman) could still pop up in Avengers: Secret Wars, though nothing is set in stone.
Finally, while many expect an official X-Men cast reveal at the D23 Expo on August 14, that timeline hinges on whether Marvel Studios can finalize deals with several key actors over the next two weeks. Otherwise, it might be a bit longer before Kevin Feige and the house he built make it official.