The weeks leading up to D23 were filled with rumors and speculation, as Marvel Studios worked behind the scenes to lock down its live-action X-Men lineup ahead of the studio’s biggest presentation of the year. Among the new mutants being cast was Rogue, with several contenders popping up in the news cycle before Cailee Spaeny emerged as the clear frontrunner. The Alien: Romulus and Civil War actress spent weeks as the presumed favorite, and much of the fandom had already treated her casting as official. Surprisingly, Rogue ultimately went to Inde Navarrette, the Obsession breakout who had been quietly linked to the X-Men since revealing she had met with director Jake Schreier. Not every fan liked Marvel Studios’ choice, and for those, a new report reveals there’s still hope to see Spaeny become a mutant.
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Knight Edge Media reports that Spaeny is currently in talks with Marvel Studios to take over the role of another mutant in the X-Men reboot. That aligns with comments Kevin Feige made on the D23 stage, where he stressed that the cast unveiled that night wasn’t the complete roster for the film. During the weeks preceding D23, we already had rumors about the casting of other major X-Men roles, including Beast and Magneto. So, it’s fair to assume Marvel Studios is also looking for other mutants, some of whom could be perfect for Spaeny.
Who Could Cailee Spaeny Play in the Upcoming X-Men Reboot?
While Adam Driver is officially playing Mister Sinister in the X-Men reboot, during the D23 presentation, he was introduced to the public as Nathaniel Milbury, one of the villain’s many aliases. In the comics, Nathaniel ran a Nebraska orphanage that he used as a facade to hide his mutant experimentation. One of the residents of this orphanage was the young Scott Summers, the future Cyclops (Kit Connor in the movie), who becomes a victim of Mister Sinister and ignites his obsession with the Summers family. Given how young the MCU X-Men cast is, the movie could follow Charles Xavier (Christopher Abbott) as he builds his school in response to the horrors Milbury inflicted on mutant children.
Among the X-Men who would fit well in the story Marvel Studios seems to be building is Kitty Pryde. Kitty arrived at Xavier’s school as a vulnerable student, and her recruitment became one of the earliest examples of Xavier actively rescuing a mutant teenager from danger and helping them unlock their full potential. Her phasing ability, sharp intelligence, and status as the audience’s entry point into the X-Men’s world in many stories made her a key figure of the franchise for decades. Casting Spaeny as Kitty would give Marvel a chance to build the character’s relationship with the school from the ground up, while making the best of Spaeny’s talent. Fans have already floated Kitty as a strong alternative for Spaeny in the weeks since D23, so casting her in the role would also please the fanbase.
Marvel has other mutants it could hand to Spaeny if Kitty Pryde isn’t the plan. Magik, the demon-forged sorceress and sister of Colossus, would let Spaeny tap into her horror experience with Alien: Romulus. Polaris and Jubilee remain options, given that both are great characters that remain unconfirmed for the X-Men reboot. However, so far Marvel Studios seems to be focusing on the most well-known X-Men, which makes Kitty Pryde the best match.
Marvel Studios’ untitled X-Men movie is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2028.
