Marvel eyeing major movie stars for huge MCU roles, reports claim

This year is going to be a FAN-tastic one for Marvel superheroes and villains. Plenty of movies are coming in 2025 that will have Marvel Cinematic Universe fans begging for more. However, the magic is when the character on the page is embodied by the perfect person on the screen.

Several X-Men and Avengers of the past have proven when those two merge into one perfectly, a supernova of excitement can happen. One of the superpowers of Kevin Feige and his team is casting. Not enough praise can be lauded for the work Marvel Studios puts in to choose the right individual to bring their characters to life. Look at 2025 in the MCU, which will include Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross/Red Hulk, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams/Wonder Man, Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Fantastic Four, and Ralph Ineson as Galacatus. We also see Charlie Cox return as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Jon Bernthal return as Frank Castle/The Punisher, Vincent D'Onofrio return as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin - all in this March's Daredevil: Born Again.

While a couple of those names may create some hesitation, and a couple of others have already been cast, when they all arrive in the MCU this year, there will be cause for celebration. Marvel has casting for their projects on lock.

Now, a number of recent rumors claim that Marvel Studios has begun the casting process for a number of major characters, and they will have fancasting and pondering until we get actual confirmation.

Marvel rumored to be casting the X-Men and Ghost Rider in the near-future with movie and TV stars in the running

The first of these rumors involves the X-Men themselves, as insider Daniel Richtman reveals that the studio is reportedly looking to cast Gambit and Kitty Pryde in the upcoming X-Men reboot. Needless to say, that would be a big deal as neither one of those characters had big enough roles in the previous X-Men movie franchise for 20th Century Fox, so this would be a major way for the MCU's adaptation to immediately set itself apart.

As always, reports from scoopers or insiders can be vague because there's no telling a source, but Richtman is pretty much on point when it comes to inside details. And let's not forget that there is an X-Men movie in development for after the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, so we know Marvel's Mightiest Mutants are coming to the silver screen again. If you were a fan of Deadpool & Wolverine, you saw the culmination of years of bellyaching. And sorry, Kevin Feige, but how can you cast better than Channing Tatum for Gambit?!

Next, did someone miss the memo? Who asked for Kitty Pryde in the MCU? She was a character from the original X-Men trilogy, portrayed most recently by Elliot Page. Her mutant power is passing through solid structures with ease.

Again, who called Feige about this need? Who would you fancast here? Millie Bobby Brown or Natalia Dyer from Stranger Things, Alisha Boe from 13 Reasons Why, Cailee Spaeny from Civil War, and Zoey Deutch from Vampire Academy have all been rumored for this part, but again...why?!

How about Cyclops?

MyTimetoShineHello, a noted Marvel scooper, shares that there's word that Jack Champion (Ethan Landry in Scream VI) is being considered for Cyclops in the upcoming rebirth of X-Men. And he's not the only actor rumored to be in contention for the role.

Although Tye Sheridan and James Marsden are most commonly connected to Scott Summers due to their appearances in the Fox X-Men movie series, it would be nice to get someone who can age with the role (outside of the prequel movies) because, hopefully, we will see the rest of his family, Havoc and Vulcan (among others).

The best rumor for last: According to Richtman, Marvel Studios is considering Ryan Gosling for the role of Ghost Rider. Needless to say, this would be a huge steal for Marvel considering the past few years that Ryan Gosling has had. After the likes of Barbie and The Fall Guy, he's now set to be Star Wars' next leading man, so seeing him potentially join another huge franchise in Marvel - as Ghost Rider of all characters - would be a huge win for everyone.

With respect to Nicolas Cage, or not, this would be a feel-good choice for Ghost Rider. And we dig it! With VFX and CGI, as they are today, Ryan Gosling and Marvel Studios would work wonders with this character. We can only hope. 

The actor has been attached to the role before simply because he's at the top of many fans' fan-casting lists. He himself has spoken about his desire to play the role in the past, so it goes without saying that it would be a dream come true for not just him, but the fans longing to see him play the role.

It's an exciting time to be a Marvel fan, and if any of these reports come to fruition, there is no doubt that it would be a big deal for the franchise. A very big deal indeed.

Any casting rumors we're missing? Let us know.