Adam Driver and Sadie Sink are set to star in Marvel's new X-Men reboot, with "Obsession" breakout Inde Navarrette also joining the cast. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed the casting on Friday at the D23 fan convention, according to Variety.
Sink, 24, will play Jean Grey, a powerful psychic and telekinetic. Jean Grey was portrayed by Famke Janssen in the 2000 film "X-Men." Driver, 42, has been cast as the villainous geneticist Dr. Nathaniel Essex, also known as Mister Sinister, a character previously unseen in live-action cinema. Navarrette, 25, will portray Rogue, a mutant who absorbs the powers of others through touch, a role previously filled by Anna Paquin in the 2000 film.
"Girls" actor Christopher Abbott, 40, will portray Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, the telepath who assembles the mutant team. Patrick Stewart played Professor X in the 2000 "X-Men" film. "Heartstopper" star Kit Connor, 22, is cast as Scott Summers, or Cyclops, a mutant whose eyes emit laser beams. James Marsden originated the role of Cyclops in the 2000 film.
Samara Weaving will play Emma Frost, a psychic with the ability to transform into diamond form, while Maya Boyd will portray Storm, a mutant capable of controlling weather. Halle Berry famously played Storm in the original "X-Men" cast.
The new X-Men movie, directed by Jake Schreier, is slated for release on May 5, 2028. Schreier's previous work includes "Thunderbolts*."
The original 2000 "X-Men" film significantly boosted the comic book franchise's popularity, leading to sequels "X2: X-Men United" in 2003 and "X-Men: The Last Stand" in 2006. The original trilogy featured Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.
Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the original films and reprised the role in the 2024 film "Deadpool & Wolverine," became an international star through the franchise. The "X-Men" franchise was rebooted in 2011 with a prequel series beginning with "X-Men: First Class." That film starred James McAvoy as Professor X, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, January Jones as Emma Frost, and Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" in 2014 saw the convergence of the original and prequel casts in a time-travel narrative. "Dark Phoenix" in 2019, featuring Sophie Turner, proved to be a box office disappointment.
Several actors from the original 2000 cast, including Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, and Alan Cumming, are also expected to appear in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film "Avengers: Doomsday."