As we approach the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, excitement is at an all-time high when it comes to the arrival of the X-Men. Audiences around the world have been waiting years for Marvel's Mightiest Mutants to debut in the MCU and now it's only a matter of time until they arrive.
The Multiverse Saga made those hopes and dreams a reality - or at least the start of that reality, for we have had nods and references to the X-Men throughout this chapter. And with relatively recent appearances from Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Kelsey Grammer's Beast and Patrick Stewart's Professor X, it's clear that the mutants' time is almost upon us. So much so, in fact, that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has termed the next chapter of the MCU as "The Mutants Era".
With an X-Men movie in development (officially!), there is a lot of intrigue as to who could play these iconic roles in the MCU. A new report, however, suggests that one major actor is in Marvel's sight to play a certain character - and, if the source is correct, it could turn out to be one of the biggest fan-castings come to life.
Marvel reportedly interested in casting Elizabeth Gillies as Rogue in the MCU
According to scooper account Marvel Updates, Marvel Studios is eyeing Elizabeth Gillies to play Rogue in an upcoming MCU film, potentially setting the stage for a starring role as the character in the franchise's X-Men movie. It doesn't elaborate when it comes to which movie that is or when Rogue could appear, but it's a rumor that has resulted in a positive response from the Marvel fanbase.
Liz Gillies is a pop-culture phenomenon, known for her role as Jade West in Nickelodeon series Victorious (alongside Ariana Grande) and, more recently, as Fallon Carrington in The CW's reboot of Dynasty. Although the latter was successful in the US on its home network, it became a global hit due to international streaming on Netflix, and that allowed the rest of the world to fall in love with Gillies' captivating leading performance as Fallon on the show across its five-season run.
Rogue is one of the most popular X-Men characters in Marvel Comics history. She's also one of the most popular Marvel characters in general. Known for her signature brown and white hair, she's a Southern Belle with the mutant ability to absorb power, life force, energy, or even memories from anyone she touches. It makes her incredibly formidable as a member of the X-Men, especially when paired with her superhuman strength and flight, but it also makes her feel lonely due to the fact that she can't touch another human being without gloves on.
The character was portrayed by Anna Paquin in the 20th Century Fox X-Men movies but she is expected to be one of the many characters recast for the new X-Men film that will reboot the franchise as part of the MCU (although Paquin could still make a cameo appearance as her version of Rogue in one of the Multiverse Saga's remaining film if the character is one of the cameos Marvel Studios opts to include in them).
Veteran industry insider Daniel Richtman recently reported that Marvel Studios has begun the process of casting for the film, potentially looking to cast the characters of Gambit and Kitty Pryde early on. With that in mind, it would make sense that the conversations about casting Rogue would have also begun. After all, she's one of the most popular characters in the X-Men and, even with the success of the recent Disney Plus series X-Men '97, it's clear that fans still love her.
Gillies' name has been atop many fan-casting lists over the years, so it goes without saying that the star would be an ideal choice to play the role. With her effortless ability to capture your attention whenever she walks on-screen, she would definitely have no problem bringing this long-awaited fan-casting to life. Here's hoping she gets the opportunity to do that.