When the X-Men were still under the 20th Century Fox umbrella, they were unable to cross paths with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes due to ownership rights. Superhero fans had to settle for watching two separate theatrical superhero franchises, wondering what it would be like if these beloved characters were able to meet. Well, thanks to Avengers: Doomsday, we’ll have to wonder no more.
We’ve slowly seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduce more and more mutants over the years, with Deadpool and Wolverine being perhaps the biggest standouts. However, the door will finally be blown open later this year when the X-Men team up (and maybe even fight) the Avengers in the biggest superhero crossover to date. We’re about to witness the comeback of characters we thought were long gone, such as Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique, James Marsden’s Cyclops, and more.
On the one hand, it will be exciting to witness the return of these legends for one big, unprecedented cinematic event. On the other hand, it’s undeniable that they won’t be able to stay in the MCU for long. As such, new actors are bound to bring a new generation of X-Men to life after the events of Avengers: Secret Wars, and thanks to a new report, we finally know who some of these new faces might be.
Odessa A’zion as Riley in Spyglass Media Group’s HELLRAISER, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of Spyglass Media Group. © 2022 Spyglass Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
Peter Claffey and Odessa A’Zion are reportedly being considered to play Beast and Rogue in the MCU
We might finally have our Dr. Hank McCoy and Anna Marie LeBeau. According to scooper Jeff Sneider, Peter Claffey, better known for his portrayal of Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is being eyed to play the role of Beast in the untitled X-Men film set to release as part of the MCU’s upcoming saga. Furthermore, I Love LA’s Odessa A’Zion is being considered to bring Rogue to life.
Insider Divinity Seeker stated that the new generation of X-Men is bound to appear in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, with the official cast announcement expected to happen by the end of 2026. Of course, all eyes are currently on Avengers: Doomsday, so CinemaCon is likely to focus on the upcoming MCU crossover. However, San Diego Comic-Con, which is a bit further down the line, could be an ideal place to make such a big casting announcement.
Peter Claffey (Dunk) in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Courtesy of Steffan Hill/HBO.
The MCU’s X-Men movie will be helmed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier, with Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo currently writing a draft of the script. The movie has been heavily theorized to be among the first to be released as part of the MCU’s next saga, with 2028 being a likely release date. With that in mind, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Marvel is already eyeing actors for some of these big roles.
Jake Schreier has teased that Marvel intends to use the X-Men in more than one movie (which shouldn’t really be surprising, especially considering how the next MCU saga as a whole is reported to focus on mutants). With high chances of a new, multi-film franchise on the horizon, it makes sense for Marvel to be eyeing young actors who could potentially play these roles for years to come.
It has been reported that the upcoming X-Men film will focus on the original comic book lineup of characters, which includes Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. Part of the reason why there have been no rumors of a new actor taking on the role of Wolverine is that Marvel is considering keeping Hugh Jackman around, even after the events of Avengers: Secret Wars. As such, Logan could act as a bit of a mentor to the new generation of X-Men.
As always, these rumors should be taken with a grain of salt. But with CinemaCon and SDCC on the horizon, it won’t be long before Marvel discusses what’s next after the Multiverse Saga and, with a bit of luck, X-Men casting announcements start coming our way sooner rather than later.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on Dec. 18, 2026.