Many of you will no doubt recall the near-endless list of actors we saw suggested for Marvel's First Family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. An official announcement was finally made but the rumours...well, they became a little exhausting.
Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot is finally somewhere on the horizon and could be released in theaters as soon as 2027. It's incredibly important to get that franchise right after the damage done by Fox in those final few years and casting the best people possible will be essential.
We fully trust in Sarah Finn, of course, and expect to be suitably impressed. In the meantime, quite a few names are already doing the rounds online and we figured it would be a good time to bring you up to speed with everyone rumoured to be in the running.
You can check out a full breakdown of the names by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
7. Hunter Schafer As Mystique
Hunter Schafer rose to prominence for her role in Euphoria but has since impressed in movies like The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Cuckoo. She's also lined up a co-lead role in the Blade Runner 2099 TV series.
While it feels like this rumour was designed to trigger the anti-trans crowd, Schafer would be a terrific fit for Raven Darkhölme and it has nothing to do with her being transgender (she's specifically expressed a desire to move on from playing transgender people on screen).
Simply put, Schafer is a rising star and powerhouse talent. Marvel Studios would be lucky to have her.
6. Sadie Sink As Jean Grey
Sadie Sink's breakthrough role came as Max Mayfield in Netflix mega-hit, Stranger Things. She's also impressed in the Fear Street movies and delivered a hugely underrated performance in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale.
Taylor Swift also chose Swift to star in her All Too Well short film alongside herself and Dylan O'Brien.
Fans tend to fan-cast any actor with red hair as Jean Grey, but we're hoping this rumour is true. Stranger Things season 4 saw Sink deliver her best work to date and we think she has what it takes to do right by Marvel Girl.
5. Jack Champion As Cyclops
Another rising star, Jack Champion landing a major superhero role feels inevitable. After several small roles across film and television, the actor got his big break with Avatar: The Way of Water and Scream VI.
His role in the Avatar franchise will likely continue to expand over the coming years, allowing him to show what he can do (as a human rather than a CG Na'vi).
Can we see him as Cyclops? Sure. It's hard to say how good a fit he'd be without taking on a similar role but if Marvel Studios believes he has the necessary attributes to do right by Scott Summers, count us in.
4. Ayo Edebiri As Storm
Originally cast in a relatively minor role - likely Val's assistant - in Thunderbolts*, scheduling issues forced Ayo Edebiri to walk away from her MCU debut. However, that might prove to be the best thing that ever happened to the actor.
It's recently been reported that Marvel Studios is considering The Bear, Bottoms, and Inside Out 2 star for the role of Ororo Munroe.
Edebiri looks the part and is one of the best young actors working in Hollywood today. Storm, meanwhile, remains one of the X-Men's most important members and casting the role well will be crucial. Would anyone complain if it's Edebiri?
3. Harris Dickinson As Cyclops
The latest Cyclops casting rumour points to Harris Dickinson being a likely contender for the MCU's Scott Summers. No stranger to blockbuster fare, he's previously starred in the likes of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and The King's Man.
However, roles in The Iron Claw, Blitz, and Babygirl have earned him widespread critical acclaim.
If Marvel Studios hopes to find a slightly more seasoned actor for the leader of the X-Men, then Dickinson is probably the way to go. He also arguably looks the part more than Champion too.
2. Cynthia Erivo As Storm
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is eager to bring Storm to life on screen, but at 38, she's older than any other actor listed here. That's not a huge issue, but it would be odd to have a mix of old and younger heroes unless the X-Men have been around for at least a couple of decades.
A team like that is arguably too established and would rob us of many adventures featuring the team. Sure, skip the origin story and pick up with them in their 20s, but anything beyond that could be problematic for fans.
Beyond the musical mentioned above, Erivo has received widespread acclaim for her work across stage and screen and is close to EGOT status.
1. Kitty Pryde, Gambit, And Mister Sinister
We don't have casting for these characters but figured they're worth including as they're three major roles we could start hearing rumblings about soon. Kitty Pryde is a hugely important part of the X-Men and, honestly, deserves better than The Last Stand.
Gambit is an interesting name to see crop up as Channing Tatum has recently suited up as the hero in Deadpool & Wolverine ahead of a supposed return in Avengers: Doomsday.
Finally, it's been said that Mister Sinister will be the franchise's big bad moving forward. It's time we move on from Magneto (for a little while at least) and there are any number of great actors who would be perfect for the villain.