There's a slim chance Marvel Studios will announce the X-Men reboot's cast at next month's San Diego Comic-Con. Next year still seems more likely, as the focus will almost certainly be on Avengers: Doomsday in Hall H this time around.
Still, with Sadie Sink rumoured to be playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it seems the team may slowly be coming together.
There have been many wild claims out there about which mutants and actors we'll see in the reboot, and Yellowjackets and Companion star Sophie Thatcher's name has repeatedly come up for Rogue. Now, the actress has broken her silence on potentially playing the hero.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz, Thatcher was asked how aware she is of the X-Men rumours. "I see what I [get] tagged [in]," she started. "Yeah. And I'm like, interesting. I'm open if it's a director who's down to collaborate and listen to me. I want to have a voice. I know that's absolutely possible, and people do that all the time, but I would just want to make sure it's the right story being told."
"Especially if it's such a huge franchise. It's like that itself has such an impact, and I want to make sure it's the right story," Thatcher continued. "[It's] not just spreading like violence and shock value, but something meaningful."
Asked how familiar she is with the X-Men franchise, the actress said, "It's the blue people? So, I'm going to get a lot of hate on that one [Laughs]. Jennifer Lawrence in, like, blue. Mystique. I'm open. Yes. Always. I'm open to anything."
It certainly sounds like Thatcher wouldn't immediately turn Marvel Studios down if Kevin Feige came calling. That's going to delight fans of the Heretic star, as well as those who are eager for a new, comic-accurate take on Rogue in the MCU.
In the comics, Rogue has the uncontrollable ability of absorbing the energy of others through physical contact, temporarily incorporating their abilities, powers, memories and even personality with a touch, a process which wears her victims. She was adopted by mutant terrorists Mystique and Destiny as a child, and later went from villain to hero as a member of the X-Men.
"We’re talking about things, we’re thinking about things," X-Men director Jake Schreier recently said. “I can tell you most of the stuff that gets posted online, I don’t know where it comes from, because it doesn’t come from our room, and it isn't what we're discussing. But there is a process.”
Schreier has pointed to Chris Claremont being a key source of inspiration, and we can likely expect a similar vibe to his Uncanny X-Men relaunch. In 1975, that put characters like Colossus, Storm, and Nightcrawler front and centre alongside familiar faces, such as Cyclops and Wolverine.
It's previously been reported that the movie will feature a lineup similar to X-Men '97, though there's also chatter about us getting the original five "First Class" of mutants. That may ultimately hinge on whether we're getting a teenage team or a pre-established group of heroes.
X-Men doesn't have a release date, but is rumoured to begin shooting this year for a 2028 debut. You can hear more from Thatcher in the player below.