During last night's episode of The Hot Mic, Jeff Sneider revealed that Bill Skarsgård (It; Deadpool 2) is currently the frontrunner for Professor X, with Tom Pelphrey (Iron Fist; Task) and Drew Starkey (Lucky; Outer Banks) also in contention for the role.
Sneider corroborated reports that Primetime Emmy nominee Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus; Wake Up Dead Man) is indeed the top choice for Rogue.
He also recently heard that Academy Award nominee Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick; One Night Only) is being considered for a character named 'Ruth,' whom he believes is Ruth Aldine, a.k.a. Blindfold. While he's not 100% sure if that is the actual part she met for or if it's a codename for someone else, he believes Marvel Studios actively wants her involved in the movie.
He confirmed Adam Driver is already attached to the film, but has heard mixed things about whether he's playing Magneto, Mister Sinister, or another villain entirely, possibly someone like William Stryker or Donald Pierce.
As for the storyline, he's heard the film may adapt elements of Marc Guggenheim's Young X-Men run, which lasted for 12 issues from April 2008 through March 2009. In that series, a new team of teenage mutants—including Rockslide, Dust, Wolf Cub, Blindfold, and Ink—is assembled by "Cyclops" to hunt down a new incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Considering rumors that Kevin Feige and company hope to draw inspiration from the X-Men '97 roster, we imagine that if this is the storyline they're eyeing, it'll be a loose adaptation at best as they look to introduce some of the X-Men's more popular heroes.
John Rocha, whose track record includes revealing Hulk and Punisher's involvement in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, also shared what he's heard. According to his sources, Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring; Aquaman) is not in the running for Professor X, and Skarsgård is indeed the top choice. He reiterated that Driver will play the villain, though the exact role remains unclear.
He also confirmed that Charles Melton (May December; Beef) is attached to play Beast and that Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza; Saturday Night) is in the mix for Cyclops, alongside a few other contenders. Brand New Day star Sadie Sink will reportedly return in the film after debuting as Jean Grey later this month.
Despite the rumors, neither Wolverine nor Magneto will be part of the film, as Marvel Studios wants to shift the focus to different villains. Rocha has also heard longtime franchise mainstay Hugh Jackman will stay on as Wolverine post-Avengers: Secret Wars, which is certainly an exciting prospect that sets up a myriad of possibilities for future adventures.
He confirmed that Emma Frost is in the movie and that Margot Robbie (Barbie; The Wolf of Wall Street) is the studio's top choice to play her, though it sounds like the three-time Oscar nominee may be too pricey for the film's budget. Sneider floated Michelle Randolph (1923; Landman) as another name he's heard in connection to the project, speculating she could be in the running for Frost if Marvel is unable to secure Robbie's services.
Finally, Rocha has heard that both Apocalypse and Mister Sinister are being considered as The Mutant Saga's primary big bad, though Marvel Studios hasn't officially decided on who will take the mantle. If we were to wager a guess, we'd lean Apocalypse, but it's completely up in the air for now.
Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*; Paper Towns) is directing the long-awaited reboot, with a screenplay from Michael Lesslie, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo.
There hasn't been an official release date set, but all eyes are on May 5, 2028, as a potential launching spot for the MCU's X-Men, although Marvel has also booked July 28 and December 15 of that same year. They also have a pair of 2029 dates reserved on May 4 and July 13, though we'd be surprised if we had to wait quite that long for a new X-Men film.