Marvel Studios' untitled X-Men reboot is quickly taking shape, and the cast assembled so far includes some undeniably exciting choices.
From Heartstopper star Kit Connor as Cyclops to Adam Driver's mysterious Nathaniel Milbury, filmmaker Jake Schreier is setting out to put a fresh spin on some of the mutantdom's most iconic characters.
With Spider-Man: Brand New Day star Sadie Sink set to reprise her role as Jean Grey, the movie is also wasting little time establishing its connections to the wider MCU.
Today, we're taking a closer look at every actor confirmed for X-Men so far, the characters they're playing, and which familiar mutants could be next to join the team. There are some big rumours about a secret villain and additional team members, and we touch on those here, too...
Cyclops (Kit Connor)
Kit Connor will play Scott Summers, better known as Cyclops, the X-Men's field leader. Connor made a name for himself playing Nick Nelson in Netflix's Heartstopper, while his other credits include Warfare and The Wild Robot. Cyclops is one of Marvel's most iconic mutants, possessing powerful optic blasts and a reputation as a natural leader. James Marsden and Tye Sheridan previously played Scott Summers in live-action.
Jean Grey (Sadie Sink)
Sadie Sink will reprise her role as Jean Grey after making her MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Best known for playing Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, Sink has quickly become one of Hollywood's most in-demand young actors. Jean is an Omega-level telepath and telekinetic who eventually breaks bad in the "Dark Phoenix Saga." Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner took on the role of Jean in Fox's X-Men movies.
Storm (Maya Boyd)
Maya Boyd will make her major film debut as Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm. The character is one of the X-Men's most powerful members and is able to manipulate weather and control the elements. Storm has also been a leader of the team and, in the comics, eventually married T'Challa/Black Panther. Halle Berry famously played the role in the original X-Men movies, with Alexandra Shipp later playing a younger version.
Rogue (Inde Navarrette)
Inde Navarrette will play Anna Marie, better known as Rogue. The actress delivered a star-making turn in Obsession, and her casting came after she was widely reported to be interested in joining the X-Men cast as Mystique. Rogue possesses the ability to absorb another person's powers, memories and life force through physical contact, making her powers particularly dangerous. Anna Paquin previously played the mutant.
Angel (Asa Germann)
Asa Germann recently joined the cast as Warren Worthington III, a.ka. the Avenging Angel. The actor played Sam Riordan in Gen V, Prime Video's first spin-off of The Boys, and reportedly originally auditioned for Cyclops before landing the role of Angel. Warren is a wealthy mutant who possesses enormous feathered wings, allowing him to fly. Ben Foster and Ben Hardy both portrayed Angel in the previous X-Men movies.
Professor X (Christopher Abbott)
Christopher Abbott has been cast as Charles Xavier, the founder and leader of the X-Men. Abbott has earned acclaim for roles in projects including The Crowded Room, Poor Things, and Wolf Man. Professor X is Marvel's most powerful telepath and uses his abilities to help guide and protect mutantkind. Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy portrayed the team's founder across multiple movies and even shared the screen.
Emma Frost (Samara Weaving)
Samara Weaving is Emma Frost, one of the X-Men's most formidable and morally complex characters. Best known for Ready or Not, The Babysitter, and Scream VI, Weaving brings plenty of experience playing characters who can be charming one moment and dangerous the next. Emma is an immensely powerful telepath who can also transform her body into living diamond, and Weaving follows January Jones.
Adam Driver (Nathaniel Milbury)
Adam Driver has joined the X-Men cast as a mysterious figure named Nathaniel Milbury, an alias of the iconic mutant villain Mister Sinister. Driver is best known for playing Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and was once rumoured to be in the running for Mister Fantastic. In the comics, Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister is a Victorian-era geneticist obsessed with mutant evolution and the Summers bloodline, in particular.
Who's Next?
As the X-Men cast continues to take shape, we're expecting Hank McCoy, a.k.a. Beast, to join the mutant team. The question is, will he appear largely human at this stage, or is he going to be his blue-haired self from the comics? Fox's prequel movies already touched on the hero's tragic transformation, so either option is possible, and Charles Melton (Riverdale, Beef) is said to be in the running for this iconic role.
Rumour has it that Iceman is also being cast, meaning we'll end up with the Original Five X-Men and a couple of big additions in Rogue and Storm. Bobby Drake never really got his due in the previous movies, so it would be a blast to see him factor into this story. As of now, there's no word on who could play him, so we'll have to wait and see whether this pans out. Apocalypse may also make an appearance.