The cast of the X-Men reboot currently features Kit Connor as Scott Summers, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost. Adam Driver is reportedly playing the movie's villain, and while the Magneto rumours have been debunked, it seems he's either Mister Sinister or Sebastian Shaw.
Christopher Abbott, Tom Pelphrey, Bill Skarsgård, Will Poulter, and Harris Dickinson are reportedly in the running for Professor X. Cailee Spaeny, meanwhile, seems likely for Rogue, while Charles Melton has repeatedly been mentioned as a favourite for Beast.
Over the past 12 hours or so, rumours have swirled on social media that Melton, best known for roles in Riverdale and Warfare, has now decided against playing Hank McCoy. If so, that could alter Marvel Studios' plans to reveal the primary X-Men cast at D23 on Friday.
Daniel Richtman has since explained that he shared the news about Melton privately, despite it not being "100%." Someone took that intel and ran with it, and the insider reiterates that neither Melton nor Spaeny are locked for X-Men quite yet. However, there's nothing to say that he's necessarily walked away from the project either.
This sort of back-and-forth isn't hugely surprising, especially as a cast like this is typically fluid as deals and schedules are worked out. Similar to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, there will likely be some unexpected names when the ensemble is revealed, and unless the trades chime in, any casting rumour is best taken with a pinch of salt.
As of now, it doesn't sound like there are plans for Wolverine to appear in the X-Men reboot. Instead, we're expecting a First Class-style group of mutants, meaning even heavy-hitters like Storm could be absent from this first chapter. On the plus side, there's a good chance that Ororo Munroe will appear in Black Panther 3.
"I can’t wait for all of you to see Avengers: Doomsday. We have a movie after that called Avengers: Secret Wars, and after that the mutants are coming, and the X-Men are coming," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige previously teased. "That’s been a dream of mine. I started with the X-Men many, many years ago, and to bring a new version into the MCU is going to be very exciting."
"There are so many great female characters and some of my favourite female characters are in a group called the X-Men," he added, seemingly confirming rumours that the MCU's X-Men will be female-focused.
X-Men is currently expected to be released in theaters in 2028.