Over the past 24 hours, Wonder Man has been cancelled, and, after years of false starts, the stake has finally been driven through Blade's heart. Fortunately, we have some much-needed good news to share today, as the X-Men reboot takes shape at Marvel Studios.
Deadline reports that, fresh off the success of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Samara Weaving, 34, is set to play the MCU's Emma Frost.
According to the trade, after meetings with several candidates, filmmaker Jake Schreier and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige decided earlier this week that Weaving was the right choice to play the White Queen.
"While Schreier and Marvel execs have been meeting and auditioning actors all summer for a number of roles," the report notes, "the Frost character has felt the most thorough search of the newest cast members."
"The final list of actors tested for the role right after July 4th," the site adds, "and at the end of the day, Weaving’s audition was too hard to beat, and she landed the part earlier this week."
Weaving, who is Australian, has become one of Hollywood's most highly sought after genre stars after first finding fame on the long-running soap Home and Away. Following standout performances in The Babysitter, Mayhem, and the Oscar-winning Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, she broke out as horror icon Grace in Ready or Not.
Since then, Weaving has showcased her versatility in projects including Bill & Ted Face the Music, Babylon, Scream VI, Azrael, and Over Your Dead Body.
Emma Frost is one of Marvel's most complex and compelling mutants, evolving from a ruthless villain into a respected hero and leader of the X-Men. First appearing as the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, Emma possesses powerful telepathic abilities and acquired the secondary mutation to transform her body into organic diamond, making her nearly indestructible.
Known for her sharp wit and icy demeanour, she's served as a teacher, mentor, and protector of mutantkind, as well as one of Cyclops' main love interests (she stole him off Jean Grey during Grant Morrison's New X-Men run). In the comics, Emma is American but uses an English accent as an affectation. Whether she'll fight alongside the X-Men or against them in this movie remains to be seen.
For what it's worth, scooper @MyTimeToShineH is claiming that Charles Melton (Beef) is now a lock for the role of Hank McCoy/Beast. At the same time, former Nexus Point News reporter, @ApocHorseman says Cooper Hoffman (The Long Walk) is playing Cyclops, with Tom Pelphrey (Iron Fist) as Professor X.
X-Men is expected to be released in theaters in 2028 or 2029. You can check out our recent interview with Weaving for Over Your Dead Body below.