Marvel’s X-Men Reboot: Meet the New Cast and the Iconic Characters They’re Playing

Only those who have been living under a rock would not know that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is confirmed to play Jean Grey in the upcoming X-Men reboot. Marvel Studios and Sony tried to hide her role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day for months. When the film arrived in theaters, it was officially confirmed that she was indeed stepping into the role of Jean Grey. According to Marvel, “An extraordinary telepath and telekinetic, Jean Grey learns to better harness her psionic powers and joins the X-Men as a founding member.” The character was previously played by Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner in earlier films. 

On July 31, Deadline reported that Samara Weaving has been cast to play Emma Frost. Sources told the publication that after auditioning multiple candidates, director Jake Schreier and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige decided to go with Weaving. But, it’s important to note that Marvel has not commented on the casting report yet, so fans should take it with a grain of salt. Then again, she resembles the comic book character almost perfectly. Per Marvel’s character description, “As one of the most formidable psionic Mutants out there, Emma Frost is a Hellfire Club villain turned X-Man that uses her telepathic abilities and skills at manipulation to protect others, especially her fellow brethren.” 

Another reported casting is Kit Connor, who is eyeing the role of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops. Yes, Jean Grey’s husband may be brought to life by the Heartstopper star. Cyclops’ character description reads, “From a stoic leader of the X-Men to a hardened radical, Cyclops is always true to mutantkind and determined to make Xavier’s dream of peace between mutants and humans a reality.” He is known for projecting a “beam of heatless, ruby-colored concussive force from his eyes.” Cyclops was previously portrayed by James Marsden and Tye Sheridan. 

Charles Melton was rumored to play Beast, a “genius scientist and scholar” who has a “vast intellect to complement his great strength.” Reports said that Melton was the main contender for the role of Hank McCoy. Also, during an interview with The Playlist, when he was asked about the rumors circulating online, he playfully questioned, “Wow. And who’s the director?” He did not address whether he had auditioned for the role, but said that he would love to be the one playing Beast. In his words, “Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. It does interest me for sure. Oh, yeah. That would be cool. What a dream.” However, the latest reports now claim that he has passed on the role, although the reason has not been revealed. Still, it is hard to know what to believe and what not to when misinformation can easily spread online. For now, the only source fans can truly trust is Marvel, which has remained silent on the casting. 

Forbes has the latest scoop when it comes to the Rogue casting. According to multiple insiders, Cailee Spaeny, known for starring in Beef and Knives Out, is either being considered for Rogue or has already been cast in the role. Not only that, sources also revealed that Marvel was initially considering I Love LA star Odessa A’Zion for the part. But Cailee Spaeny wanted the role and “lobbied hard” for herself, ultimately becoming the top choice. For those who don’t know, “Rogue’s signature power is the ability to absorb memories, powers, personality traits, physical talents, and strength from anyone she touches.” That is super cool!

Adam Driver’s name is also coming up in the X-Men discussions. He was previously rumored to be the favorite choice for Magneto. But according to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision newsletter, Driver could instead be cast as Sebastian Shaw. THR teased the possible casting by saying, “Magneto? Pshaw. Or more like, Sebastian (p)Shaw?” Magneto is “a sometimes-foe, sometimes-friend to the X-Men,” who can “manipulate magnetism, generate force fields, and shoot electromagnetic pulses that can disable electronic devices.” Meanwhile, Sebastian Shaw is an “unreformed villain and industrialist” who “often leads the Hellfire Club as the nefarious Black King.”

Only time will tell what’s going on behind the scenes.