Veteran cast members from Fox’s X-Men movies will get one final hurrah in Avengers: Doomsday (and, likely, Avengers: Secret Wars) before Marvel finally turns the page and reboots the franchise with a new ensemble. Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier has signed on to helm the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first proper X-Men film, and while the project doesn’t have a release date yet, there’s speculation that it could hit theaters in 2028, making it one of the first movies of Phase 7. If that’s the plan, Marvel will have to put together a new cast soon, and now fans are reacting to the latest rumors and reports on that front.
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On an episode of the podcast The Hot Mic, industry insider Jeff Sneider shared that Marvel is looking at Peter Claffey for the role of Beast and Odessa A’Zion to play Rogue. It is important to keep in mind that these are just names Sneider has heard for a shortlist, and nothing has been officially confirmed yet. Unsurprisingly, this sparked a variety of reactions; some are very excited about this possibility, while others feel Claffey would be a stronger fit for a different Marvel mutant. Check out a sampling of responses below:
When Will Marvel Studios Announce the New X-Men Cast?
Again, nothing is official on the X-Men casting front, but if Marvel actually is looking at Claffey and A’Zion, it’s easy to see why. Both are rising stars in the industry; the former is the star of the critically acclaimed Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, while the latter is coming off her own critically acclaimed star-making turn in Best Picture nominee Marty Supreme. All signs are pointing to the MCU’s next saga revolving around mutants and the X-Men, so Marvel is likely on the hunt for actors they can lock into these roles for an extended period of time. Last year, reports indicated the studio would specifically be targeting “younger talent, rather than A-listers” as a means of keeping production costs under control.
Claffey and A’Zion are emerging stars, but neither is at the point where they can command a massive payday a la Robert Downey Jr. It’s a smart move for Marvel to try to keep the budget in check. The MCU is coming off of a down year at the box office, and a smaller budget means it’d be easier for the X-Men reboot to turn a profit. Recruiting relative unknowns is par for the course for X-Men movies; Hugh Jackman was hardly a household name when he signed on to play Wolverine. Marvel may want more established actors to play characters like Charles Xavier and Magneto, but the X-Men themselves can be comprised of younger, fresh-faced talent.
Outside of who will be playing the new X-Men, the biggest question is when Marvel will reveal the full ensemble. There have been reports for over a year that Marvel is in the midst of the casting process, but nothing has been announced to this point. It’s certainly possible Kevin Feige and Co. are working behind closed doors to reach deals with actors and are holding off on official confirmations to keep the general public’s attention on the present. With the releases of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, 2026 is a massive year for the MCU, and Marvel wants to keep most of the focus on those movies.
The X-Men’s role in Doomsday is an interesting wrinkle to consider here. On one hand, Marvel could unveil the X-Men cast at a Hall H panel during San Diego Comic-Con this year, but Doomsday would likely be the main attraction at that presentation (assuming Marvel has a panel this year). There’d be an opportunity for the old cast to pass the baton to the newcomers on stage, but it might be too early for that now. Plus, Comic-Con takes place prior to the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Sadie Sink is rumored to be playing Jean Gray in that film. Marvel has kept the identity of Sink’s character a secret to this point, so it’s likely something being saved for the premiere. It might make more sense to wait until next year to reveal the new mutants.
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