Meet the Cast and Characters of the MCU’s ‘X-Men’
Quick question: is Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters accepting applications?
Looking for big and splashy Marvel Cinematic Universe casting news? Comic-Con schmomic-con! It’s all about D23 these days, y’all, and Disney’s biennial exposition delivered this year with the official announcement of the new X-Men cast. The famed canon of Marvel superheroes and/or villains, and misfits in-between are finally joining the MCU proper. Here’s what you need to know.
There may still be a few cast and characters left to be announced for the movie, which will be directed by Jake Schreier and released on May 5, 2028. Granted, there are easily 100+ X-Men characters to choose from, but if this movie intends to depict the original line-up of mutant superheroes, they still need a Bobby Drake a.k.a. Iceman, Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel, and Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast at least. Will they free Hugh Jackman and recast Wolverine? Who can say! As for the ladies, what about Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris, Raven Darkhölme a.k.a. Mystique, and Kitty Pryde a.k.a. Shadowcat? Hopefully the X-Men cast announced at D23 is just he beginning.
It’s also hard to imagine a movie with Professor Charles Xavier would not also have Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto. Surely the MCU wouldn’t withhold that iconic frenemy, or whatever, dynamic for a whole movie... please?!
Sadie Sink plays Jean Grey aka Phoenix
Sometimes called “Marvel Girl,” Jean Grey has crazy powerful telepathic and telekinetic skills. She’s best known for “going evil” in the Dark Phoenix Saga and for being a third in love triangles with Scott Summers and either Wolverine or Emma Frost, depending on the day. (We all know the preferred solution there.)
The MCU version of Jean was introduced earlier this year in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as an orphan whose sister was kidnapped by an organization called Damage Control.
Sadie is best known for Stranger Things, as well as All Too Well: The Short Film and The Whale. But like more than a few actors in this cast, she has an impressive stage career. She played Annie on Broadway as a child, recently starred in Romeo and Juliet on the West End with Noah Jupe, and in 2025 was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in John Proctor is the Villain. The phenomenal play, written by Kimberly Belflower, will be adapted into a movie executive produced by and starring Sadie.
IG: @sadiesink_
Kit Connor plays Scott Summers aka Cyclops
Scott Summers is eventually the leader of the X-Men as a superhero team. He and his brother Alex, aka Havok, were orphaned at a young age. He has to wear special glasses, or a visor, to control the energy beams emitting from his eyes.
Kit, who is best known for bringing Nick Nelson to life on Heartstopper, also appeared in a recent-ish production of Romeo + Juliet, only on Broadway and opposite Rachel Zegler. He also had a brief but memorable appearance as teenage Elton John in Rocketman, was part of the “It Boy” ensemble in Warfare, and voiced Pantalaimon in HBO’s His Dark Materials.
IG: @kit.connor
Christopher Abbott plays Charles Xavier aka Professor X
Professor X is a telepath who founded and sometimes leads the X-Men. His boarding school, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, serves as a safe haven and training facility for teenagers with burgeoning mutant powers. He believes that mutants can and should learn how to coexist with humans.
You know Abbott as Charlie from Girls. He has been in many Broadway and off-Broadway shows, and is also a recent Tony Award nominee for Death of a Salesman. His other television credits include The Crowded Room on Apple TV+, Catch-22 on Hulu, and the upcoming Netflix adaptation of East of Eden. On the big screen, you have seen him in The Testament of Ann Lee, First Man, Wolf Man, Poor Things, and as a very different Marvel character in Kraven the Hunter.
Maya Boyd plays Ororo Munroe aka Storm
Storm is a very powerful mutant who can fly and control the weather. She grew up in both New York City and Cairo. Both of her parents, a Kenyan princess descended from witch-priestesses and a photojournalist, are dead.
This is Maya’s first major screen role, but she already has three Broadway shows to her name. She made her debut as a replacement in the jukebox musical & Juliet in the titular role. She then joined the cast of Merrily We Roll Along as a featured member of the ensemble and principal understudy. In 2026, she played a supporting role in he revival of the August Wilson play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone directed by the incomparable Debbie Allen—whose dance academy Boyd attended as a child. (Can we start figuring out how to get a Storm and Spider-Man dance battle now, because you know Tom Holland has a similar skill-set!)
IG: @themayaboyd
Samara Weaving plays Emma Frost
Sometimes (but not always) known as the White Queen, Emma Frost is a telepath who can turn into diamond. Like many X-Men characters, she vacillates between hero and villain.
Samara is the latest cast member of Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood to join a superhero franchise after Laura Harrier, Patti LuPone, and a little guy named David Corenswet. You may know her best as a scream queen in the Ready or Not and The Babysitter franchises to name a few. Some of her other film and television credits include Ash vs. Evil Dead, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Nine Perfect Strangers, Babylon, Over Your Dead Body, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
IG: @samweaving
Inde Navarrette plays Rogue
Rogue is a Southern belle with the ability to absorb powers and memories from others by touching them. This power can be deadly, which causes a lot of angst!
Inde broke out in a major way with the hit horror movie Obsession. Prior to that, she recurred as Estela de la Cruz in the final season of 13 Reasons Why on Netflix and played Sarah Cortez on the CW series Superman & Lois. She’s also a former Twitch streamer, NBD!
IG: @indenavarrette
Adam Driver plays Nathaniel Milbury aka Mr. Sinister
The Marvel villain is an immortal, ageless biologist from 19th century London who experiments on mutants. His powers include genetic manipulation. In one version of his story in the comics, he runs an orphanage—which is interesting considering that many of the young characters in the film are orphans. It could also make him an interesting foil to Professor X. Not as interesting as Magneto, but I’m listening...
Like Abbott, you likely first noticed Adan on Girls. He was nominated for an Emmy three times, NBD. Prior to that he was a prolific New York stage actor with plays on Broadway and off-Broadway, Tony nominated for Burn This in 2019. He has gone on to receive two Oscar nominations for BlackKklansman and Marriage Story as well as star in films like House of Gucci, The Last Duel, Paterson, While We’re Young, Frances Ha, Inside Llewyn Davis, Ferrari, and Logan Lucky.
Oh, he was also Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequels... if you even care!
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