The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to reach a major turning point with the release of its upcoming crossovers, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Over the last seven years, the studio has been building an interconnected narrative that explores the dangers of parallel realities and branched timelines, known as the Multiverse Saga. But much like the Infinity Saga before it, this ongoing chapter will come to its definite end and shake up the franchise in a major way.
The release of Avengers: Endgame marked the final appearance of iconic heroes whose journeys we had been following for years. To top things off, new characters began to take over the spotlight in the years to follow. Now, we'll be faced with a similar scenario once more, but perhaps in an even greater scale. Avengers: Doomsday is all but confirmed to be the last dance for an iconic group of previously established heroes, and new actors will take over these roles moving forward.
Marvel casts a new iteration of the X-Men with their solo film set to release in 2028
This year will seemingly mark the last time we see the X-Men from the 20th Century Fox era take over the big screen courtesy of Avengers: Doomsday. Ian McKellen's Magneto, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, and James Marsden's Cyclops will all join Earth's Mightiest Heroes in their battle against Doctor Doom for the fate of the multiverse. The appearance of this group of iconic characters was set up during the post-credits scene of The Marvels, where Monica Rambeau crosses paths with Kelsey Grammer's Beast.
However, it was also evident that Disney would introduce new versions of the X-Men so that they could shape the MCU for years to come. That's why we've seen the emergence of more mutants across multiple projects, such as Ms. Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Wonder Man, and, of course, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. During the wall-crawler's latest adventure, Sadie Sink debuted as Jean Grey, officially taking over the role from Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner before her. Now, a similar scenario is in store for the rest of the X-Men.
During D23, Kevin Feige and director Jake Schreier took the stage to announce a new generation of mutants. Kit Connor, known for his iconic role in Netflix's hit series Heartstopper, will play Cyclops, better known as the leader of the X-Men.
After her breakout role as Nikki Freeman in this year's Obsession, actress Inde Navarrete has reportedly been offered multiple roles, but she turned them down to play Rogue. Navarrete is no stranger to the superhero genre, as she previously appeared in DC's iconic series Superman & Lois.
Maya Boyd has starred in multiple Broadway productions, but X-Men will mark her first feature film appearance, where she will portray the role of Storm. Granted, her debut could happen even sooner, as multiple reports suggest that the new mutants will show up in Avengers: Secret Wars. From that point onwards, Storm could have a busy schedule since she is also rumored to appear in Black Panther 3.
Samara Weaving is set to bring Emma Frost to life in the MCU. While the iconic hero has previously appeared in films like X-Men: First Class and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, we're about to witness a completely new take on the character that's bound to play a greater role than in previous live-action projects. Weaving may be among the most recognizable stars in the cast, having recently taken over the spotlight in movies like Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and Scream VI.
Of course, the X-Men need a mentor to teach them to control their powers, and that's where Christopher Abbott will come in. The Sanctuary star will play Professor X on the big screen after Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. And since we know a hero is only as good as their villains, an iconic bad guy was needed to fight this iteration of the X-Men. Fortunately, that's exactly what we got. Adam Driver, better known for his role as Kylo Ren in the latest Star Wars trilogy, will bring Mister Sinister to life in the MCU.
It will be interesting to see how this new group is different from its predecessors. However, it's clear that Marvel is looking to make a more "classic" adaptation of the X-Men, and the best part is that we don't have to wait long to see them take over the MCU.
X-Men will be released on May 5, 2028.
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