The MCU’s X-Men project is off to an uncanny start, but it’s time for something new

While I’m admittedly a massive Marvel fan after growing up on the comic books, games, TV shows, and movies produced by the company since the 90s, I also have big expectations for what gets put out.

For example, the last few X-Men films by Fox were less than stellar, and I think most would agree. And that’s why general expectations for Marvel Studios’ next take on the super team are sky high. And honestly, I’ve been feeling a bit pessimistic about it for a while.

But after announcements at D23, I am feeling somewhat assuaged, thanks in large part to the casting decisions so far. They all generally look the part they’re supposed to play, so that’s a good start, but it goes deeper than that: by all accounts, they can act.

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First up, we have Sadie Sink as Jean Grey. We’re good there. She put on a wonderful performance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, totally stealing the third act. I think she’s going to do that character justice over the next decade or so.

Opposite her, Kit Connor looks to be one of the next big things in Hollywood, taking on the mantle of Cyclops alongside his unknown role in 2028’s Elden Ring film. We’ll definitely have to keep our eye on this guy (get it?) as his career blossoms.

Samara Weaving is the spitting image of Emma Frost, and it seems as though she has the skills to bring that sultry, seductive swagger to the silver screen that January Jones’ rendition could never pull off in X-Men: First Class (she was a low point in the otherwise awesome flick).

The biggest unknown name announced during the show was Maya Boyd as Storm, and it’s because she’s been plucked straight from the stage on Broadway to become one of the most powerful and important mutants in the upcoming saga. Storm is an Omega Level mutant, putting her on a short list of the most powerful characters in Marvel. I genuinely hope she takes a good chunk of the spotlight and gets the treatment she deserves this time around, because she’s a literal goddess (and Boyd truly looks the part, wow). With Black Panther 3 in the works from Oscar-winning director Ryan Coogler (it’s rumored he played a part in Boyd’s casting), it’s possible that Storm could play a big role in it, and we may even see her romance with T’Challa come into play, allowing her to take the crown as the Queen of Wakanda.

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Inde Navarette as Rogue got the biggest reaction from the D23 crowd. What a year for her, huh? She’s gone from relative obscurity to starring in one of the most lucrative indie horror films of all time (Obsession) to now having a career and future locked down as a superhero. I’m so happy for her, and while the reveal did have me scratching my head at first, I’m sure she’ll be able to pull it off in an even better version than what we got with Anna Paquin in the 2000s films.

And then we have Christopher Abbott as Charles Xavier. I can’t say I know a lot about him or have seen him in much, but he’s another theater actor who likely has earned the right to be up there. Which brings me to the next big question mark: who will play Magneto? So far, Xavier and Magneto are two of the movie X-Men characters that have not missed. We went from legends Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen to James McAvoy and, the single best part of the First Class series of movies, Michael Fassbender. Abbott and whoever takes on the role of Magnus have some impossibly large shoes to fill.

But this time, I hope the focus is not on the elder duo as much as it has been in previous films. I want to see the actual team and its relationships take the lead, and I feel like they will, considering the “one more thing” casting announcement: Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury, better known as the villain Mister Sinister.

In some comic book arcs, Milbury (also known as Nathaniel Essex) owns and operates an orphanage where he performs genetic experiments on mutants…namely, one Scott Summers. Cyclops. That’s where this trilogy should take us. Keep the focus on the utter hatred and contempt that Cyclops has for Sinister, and potentially even get into the disturbing cloning saga where Sinister replicates Jean Grey.

I am begging Marvel to not have Sinister as a one-off villain, and to keep him on board for multiple films as an overarching figure throughout the saga. Driver is an excellent pick for the character, so please do not let him go to waste.

Marvel Studios has a lot of material to work with, so they will never have to retread things like the Dark Phoenix saga again. Let’s steer clear of that one this time (and Wolverine too, while we’re at it). I hope that this new saga focuses on the team members, like Cyclops and Jean and their love story and struggles, as opposed to X and Magneto because it’s been done a few times already. Let the kids shine.

Reports also indicate that Marvel is looking to cast someone to play Beast/Hank McCoy, portrayed by Nicolas Hoult and Kelsey Grammar in the past (and again in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday), so there’s still some announcements and decisions to be made…like, can we also get a proper Iceman and Angel to fill out the original OG roster properly? And then there’s the whole looming albatross of a question of how this will all connect and make sense after Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027? It’s a lot to juggle, for sure.

But so far, this X-Men cast is pretty uncanny. It just needs the proper direction. And with Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier at the helm, I’m (so far) finally feeling confident that this will be a representative portrayal of the best super-team there is.

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