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Marvel Studios has unveiled the main cast of its highly anticipated new X-Men movie, ending years of speculation over who will bring the iconic mutant heroes into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film will star Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue and Maya Boyd as Storm. Adam Driver will play the villain Mr. Sinister.
Marvel chief Kevin Feige revealed the cast at D23 on Friday night alongside director Jake Schreier, who previously directed Thunderbolts. Driver appeared in a video message during the event.
“Kevin and I have been talking for years about me joining MCU,” Driver said, adding that they had “found something perfect with characters I feel very deeply about.”
The movie is scheduled to hit theatres on May 5, 2028.
Some casting details had already emerged before the official announcement. Sink was the first major piece of the new lineup, with her Jean Grey debuting in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Connor was previously reported to be playing Cyclops, while Weaving was linked to the role of Emma Frost.
Abbott, known for roles in Girls and Wolf Man, was also reported to be a leading contender for Professor X. He recently received a Tony nomination for his performance in Death of a Salesman.
Navarrette gained wider attention with the breakout hit Obsession, while Boyd comes from Broadway, where she starred in & Juliet.
Feige said the announced lineup is not the complete cast, suggesting that more characters and actors will be revealed later.
The new film marks a major step in Marvel’s long-awaited plans to bring the X-Men fully into the MCU. The question of when the mutant superheroes would join the franchise became particularly prominent after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963, the X-Men are among Marvel’s most influential comic-book characters. The original team was led by Professor X and included Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel and Iceman.
The characters became a major part of modern superhero cinema with the 2000 film X-Men, directed by Bryan Singer. The movie helped launch the modern superhero-film era and turned Hugh Jackman into a global star through his portrayal of Wolverine.
Several stars from the earlier X-Men films are also set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, including Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Kelsey Grammer as Beast.
Channing Tatum, who played Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, is also part of the Doomsday cast.
The X-Men franchise was later rebooted in the 2010s, with James McAvoy as Professor X, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and Nicholas Hoult as Beast. Those actors, however, have not been announced as part of the MCU’s new X-Men lineup.