Sequels Recasting the X-Men for the MCU

[Green Goblin]

I thought that too but he’s very tall. He’s 6”1

Is Wolverine's height an essential characteristic to keep? Hugh Jackman is 6"3 but the fans were able to look past that.

 

[Jordacar]

Casting a short actor for Wolverine is kind of like casting an actual teenager for Spidey; we've managed to get by just fine without it, but finding the right guy would add that special something extra.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Tom Holland would be the right height for Logan

 

[Silvermoth]

Is Wolverine's height an essential characteristic to keep? Hugh Jackman is 6"3 but the fans were able to look past that.

yep wolverine is short and scrappy and literally fans have complained about Hugh Jackman’s height since day one haha. Some people looked past it with Hugh but I still think why not go more comics accurate next time

 

[Green Goblin]

yep wolverine is short and scrappy and literally fans have complained about Hugh Jackman’s height since day one haha. Some people looked past it with Hugh but I still think why not go more comics accurate next time

Maybe some movie magic could help rectify that? Tom Hardy was too short for Bane?

 

[Silvermoth]

Yeah I thought of that when they were casting Wonder Woman because there was absolutely no chance of finding an actress like 7”2 which is what some fans wanted. But it’s a lot of faffing with digital technology and set design and shooting everything twice etc OR hiring a smaller actor.

plus I just love it when wolverine and cyclops are going at it and wolverine literally has to stand on tippy toe to reach Scott’s chin lol

 

[MilkmanDan]

Logan's height is a nice little character detail, but I don't personally consider it a deal-breaker. It would be silly to reject some otherwise perfect actor for being "too tall".

 

[Airwings]

Gregg Sulkin or Logan Lerman as Iceman
KiKi Layne or Keke Palmer as Storm
Dev Patel as Beast
Madison Iseman or Maude Apatow as Shadowcat
Ryan Potter as Nightcrawler
Tiffany Espensen as Jubilee
David Corenswet or Jacob Elordi as Colossus
Dacre Montgomery or Milo Gibson as Wolverine
Hailee Steinfeld or Chloë Grace Moretz as Rogue
Haley Bennett or Lily James as Emma Frost
Booboo Stewart as Forge
Sonoya Mizuno as Psylocke
Lance Gross as Bishop
Charlie Rowe as Kevin MacTaggert
Harry Styles as Gambit
Laura Fraser as Moira MacTaggert
Ewan McGregor as Sean Cassidy

Logan Lerman Isn't Interested In Playing A Superhero

What he says here can't really be true.

"...I don’t really want to wear tights and sh*t"
Sh*t? What sh*t does he refer to other than the spandex? Could he mean the capes? Not every hero has one.
It's a bold statement for someone who did two Percy Jackson films and wanted to do even another one.
And don't think we have forgotten The Three Musketeers by Paul W.S. Anderson.

Is he thinking he's reached a point when he's better than the most popular films in cinemas (before Covid)? Like "now I'm a successful serious dramatic actor". Oh yeah, sure!
What the guy need to do now is to keep his feet at the ground. And maybe keep his mouth shut if he can't find a more sympethetic tone.
He comes of as really fake and shallow, considering he did audition for Spider-Man.

Digging deeper into it, I think he's just bitter about losing the role. Not only one time, but TWICE during the last ten years (to Garfield and Holland).
Because of that, he started to loathe the genre. As a way to cope with what he missed out on.
There could be other high-profile roles he didn't get either.

EDIT:
“I’ve had bigger projects that I’ve turned down. I look back and I’m like, ’Oh, that was successful. It wasn’t something that I really liked'"
No Logan Lerman, you didn't turn them down. You lost the roles.
And Spider-Man WAS something you would have liked to do. Don't lie to us!


This is an old article:
Logan Lerman Isn’t Spider-Man Yet, But He Wants To Be
I qoute him here:
"To be totally honest, it’s a role that any young actor would die to play and I’m just hoping to be considered for it more than anything.”

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

 

[BobJM]

X-MEN: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE
directed by Rick Famuyiwa

x-men
Scott Summers / Cyclops: Will Poulter
Jean Grey / Marvel Girl: Saoirse Ronan
Ororo Munroe / Storm: Kiki Layne
Warren Worthington / Angel: Austin Butler
Bobby Drake / Iceman: Justice Smith

Jubilee: Peyton Elizabeth Lee
Prof. Charles Xavier: David Oyelowo

villains
Mister Sinister: Christoph Waltz
Cain Marko / Juggernaut: Nonso Anozie

morlocks
Callisto: MJ Rodriguez
John Proudstar / Thunderbird: Booboo Stewart
Glob Herman (CGI)
Anole: Austin Crute
Annalee: Shannon Purser
Torpid: Brookyln Prince

 

[Airwings]

Saorise Ronan and Austin Butler are good choices.

Sadly, I doubt Poulter is the right actor for Cyclops.

Why no Mystique? Imogen Poots or Lily James for her.

Jason Isaacs should be Magneto, I like to add.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

I hope we don’t get Logan introduced right away and just focus on the original 5 (Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Angel, and Iceman) plus Storm, Kitty, and Colossus for the first film

But once Logan comes into the picture I think Wyatt Russell would be a solid choice to play him

Just darken up his hair though

 

[Eddie Dean]

He’s in Falcon and Winter Soldier though

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

He’s in Falcon and Winter Soldier though

Damn, I didn’t know that. And had totally forgotten about that series lol

 

[BobJM]

Saorise Ronan and Austin Butler are good choices.

Sadly, I doubt Poulter is the right actor for Cyclops.

Why no Mystique? Imogen Poots or Lily James for her.

Jason Isaacs should be Magneto, I like to add.

I don’t really want another starlet to play Mystique & then complain about makeup. We need someone like Zoe Saldana or Karen Gillan who don’t mind sitting under prosthetics. Not sure who that’d be, but I’m okay with an unknown/less known.

Love Isaacs for any villain, but something tells me they go A-list for Magneto.

 

[BobJM]

I don’t know if people only think of Will Poulter from We’re the Millers, or what, but I think he’s tended to be overlooked a quite a bit. He’s a pretty versatile actor and been in some good projects.

I agree that’s he’s not conventional, but I think that’s what makes him such a good Cyclops pick. I think he could really zone in on Cyke’s focused leadership role (and hidden insecurities related to his powers’ instabilities). He’s not the coolest guy on the team, but he’s focused on the mission and eventually we see past his hardened exterior.

 

[BobJM]

I hope we don’t get Logan introduced right away and just focus on the original 5 (Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Angel, and Iceman) plus Storm, Kitty, and Colossus for the first film

But once Logan comes into the picture I think Wyatt Russell would be a solid choice to play him

Just darken up his hair though

Love Wyatt Russell (he should have been DCEU’s Green Arrow), but as Eddie already mentioned he’s playing US Agent.

I’ve been getting on the Dacre Montegomery train lately;

But I also wonder if Alden Ehrenreich would be solid? I thought he was one of the brighter spots of Solo.

 

[Airwings]

I don’t really want another starlet to play Mystique & then complain about makeup. We need someone like Zoe Saldana or Karen Gillan who don’t mind sitting under prosthetics. Not sure who that’d be, but I’m okay with an unknown/less known.

Love Isaacs for any villain, but something tells me they go A-list for Magneto.

Fair reasoning about Mystique.

A-list Magneto, who can that be?
I can think of some brits/aussies, but they aren't real top A-lists: Clive Owen, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham.
The question is if Brad Pitt would be interested. I don't dare to mention Tom Cruise because of the reactions I would get. Ops, it seems like I did! I'm sorry!

There aren't many A-listers born in the 60s. I look at the right age group, you see.
For getting more actual stars to choose from, we must go a bit younger.

 

[MilkmanDan]

I don’t know if people only think of Will Poulter from We’re the Millers, or what, but I think he’s tended to be overlooked a quite a bit. He’s a pretty versatile actor and been in some good projects.

I agree that’s he’s not conventional, but I think that’s what makes him such a good Cyclops pick. I think he could really zone in on Cyke’s focused leadership role (and hidden insecurities related to his powers’ instabilities). He’s not the coolest guy on the team, but he’s focused on the mission and eventually we see past his hardened exterior.

This could work. He's a really good actor and he might give an interesting take on a character the general audience sometimes dismisses as a boring, generic hero.

I don’t really want another starlet to play Mystique & then complain about makeup. We need someone like Zoe Saldana or Karen Gillan who don’t mind sitting under prosthetics. Not sure who that’d be, but I’m okay with an unknown/less known.

Mystique is a role I wouldn't mind going to, say, some unknown European actor. Someone the audience has no preconceived notions about.

 

[Herofan]

I think Daniel Craig could be really good as Magneto, kind of against type and also following up on his roles in Munich and Defiance.

 

[BobJM]

I think Daniel Craig could be really good as Magneto, kind of against type and also following up on his roles in Munich and Defiance.

Craig would no doubt be good, but I worry if he’d come across to similar to Fassbender?

Whoever is cast as Magneto, you need to consider Xavier as well—especially in terms of age. For example, I like David Oyelowo for Xavier and paired him against Oscar Isaac as Magneto. That’s dashed now though the Moon Knight casting news.

Courtney B Vance, 60 would be a great Xavier:

And pit him against Giancarlo Esposito, 62 as Magnus:

 

[BobJM]

This could work. He's a really good actor and he might give an interesting take on a character the general audience sometimes dismisses as a boring, generic hero.

Agreed!

Mystique is a role I wouldn't mind going to, say, some unknown European actor. Someone the audience has no preconceived notions about.

Agreed again; I think it’d be great if it’s a complete surprise to audiences that a character transforms into Mystique.

 

[BobJM]

MARVEL STUDIOS X-MEN: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE
directed by Rick Famuyiwa

x-men
Scott Summers / Cyclops: Will Poulter
Jean Grey / Marvel Girl: Saoirse Ronan
Kiki Layne / Storm: Kiki Layne
Warren Worthington / Angel: Austin Butler
Bobby Drake / Iceman: Justice Smith
Forge (stationed at mansion as resident smart-guy): Griffin Powell-Arcand
Prof. Charles Xavier: Courtney B. Vance

Jubilee (new recruit): Peyton Elizabeth Lee

villains
Dr. Karl Lykos / Sauron (a mix between comics Sauron & Grant Morrison's John Sublime): Pedro Pascal
U-Men (think mix of the Winter Soldiers from CA:TWS & actual U-Men from the comics)

• Rafi Gavron
• Randeep Hooda
• Aya Cash

Mister Sinister (teased to audiences as the mastermind behind Lykos): Luke Evans

commission on superhuman affairs
Agent Val Cooper: Golshifteh Farahani
Agent Henry Gyrich: Michael C. Hall
Director Duncan: Brian d’Arcy James
Dr. Tanya Trask: Sonoya Mizuno
Senator Robert Kelly: Brian Geraghty

additional
Christine Everhart (talking head): Leslie Bibb
J. Jonah Jameson (talking head): J.K. Simmons
Reverend Cameron Hodge (talking head): Glenn Fleshler
Nick Fury (the film ends with Fury knocking on the mansion's front door, and Jubilee saying "oh sh**"): Samuel L. Jackson

post-credits
Magnus (the MCU's iteration of Magneto arrives to slaughter the mutant-hating Reverend Hodge in his dressing room before going out for another TV apperance): Giancarlo Esposito

future x-men casting
Logan / Wolverine: Alden Ehrenreich
Betsy Braddock / Psylocke: Karen Fukuhara
Dr. Hank McCoy / Beast: Jack Reynor
Remy LeBeau / Gambit: Lakeith Stanfield
Rogue: Odeya Rush
Sean Cassidy / Banshee: Jack Lowden
Piotr Rasputin / Colossus: Thomas Doherty
Lucas Bishop / Bishop: Stephan James

additional mutants
Kitty Pryde / Shadowcat: Margaret Qualley
Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler: Viveik Kalra
Alison Blaire / Dazzler: Kelli Berglund
Longshot: Harry Styles
Callisto: MJ Rodriguez

additional allies
Dr. Moira MacTaggart: Sally Hawkins
Empress Lilandra: Winona Ryder
Araki: Stephen McKinley Henderson
Corsair: Tom Cruise
Gladiator: Edgar Ramirez

villains
Cain Marko / Juggernaut: Nonso Anozie
Victor Creed / Sabretooth: Garrett Hedlund
Destiny: Penelope Cruz
Raven / Mystique: Sofia Boutella

• Pyro: Machine Gun Kelly
• Blob: John Bradley
• Toad: Ethan Cutkosky

Mojo: Jim Carrey
Spiral: Lady Gaga
Arcade: Kieran Culkin
En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse: David Oyelowo

 

[ALittlePush]

Storm- Zazie Beetz
Gambit- Nathan Parsons
Beast- Hugh Laurie

These 3 are the ones that immediately sprang to mind for their respective roles and I think they'd put in good performances as the characters.

Cyclops- Josh Dallas

Cyclops always came across as a bit of a boy scout, very by the book, very "clean" in contrast to Wolverine's rougher tougher personality, and he has an honest love for Jean. I think Dallas could pull this off, I know he was in the first Thor film as Fandral, but that was 9 years ago and the part was recast for Fandral's subsequent appearances so I don't think the general audience would remember he already appeared in the MCU.

Also I've gone for a slightly older Cyclops because I think it gives opportunity for a more nuanced portrayal of the Cyclops/Jean/Wolverine triangle (if the MCU decides to explore that) since Cyclops and Jean would already be in a very well established solid relationship by the time Wolverine appears on the scene.

Jean Grey- Rachelle Lefevre

A natural red head should be cast in the role, especially as the MCU's version of Mary Jane (an iconic red haired character) is not a red head. Again, I've gone for an older Jean Grey for the reason listed for an older Cyclops. I also think Lefevre has the look to her where she'd be believable not only as the kinder Jean Grey but also as the more malevolent Dark Phoenix.

Jubilee- Brianne Tju

Jubilee is normally portrayed as teenager so I think it would be interesting to have her be a young adult instead. She'd still have that lack of experience of life that comes with being younger but she won't be that kid sidekick character put in to appeal to children and teenagers. I think the X-Men should come in a variety of ages and from all sorts of backgrounds so whilst Jubilee would be younger than the rest of the X-Men, she's not an annoying teen.

Lila Cheney- Ginnifer Goodwin

Admittedly I'm not as familiar with the Lila Cheney character as I am with others on this list, however if she is portrayed as how I interpret she might be portrayed from what little I have read about her, then I think Goodwin would be a good fit for the role. Goodwin can give attitude and hold her ground in a believable way which would also fit with the Lila Cheney character.

Rogue- Tuppence Middleton

Probably a very unconventional choice. I know Alexandra Daddario tends to be a popular choice for the role but she always looks like she's got "crazy eyes" in pictures in my opinion. I think Middleton would bring a quiet confidence to Rogue. Given that she could kill someone with her bare skin, it would make sense that the character would want to minimise close contact with people (after taking precautions to minimise skin exposure) without wanting to become a hermit. Middleton could play that needing to distance but wanting close contact with grace and dignity without making Rogue sound like a whiner about it.

Mr Sinister- Johnny Depp

I think Mr Sinister would experiment on homeless people which turns them into the morlocks and the morlock massacre is him trying to get rid of the evidence. As such, I think the public persona of Dr Nathaniel Essex would be one of a charming man, a smooth operator and a leading scientist in the field of genetics. Depp could portray both aspects of Essex's personality whilst keeping that undertone of danger whenever Sinister is playing nice.

Magneto- Timothy Dalton or Ian McKellan
Xavier- Patrick Stewart or Mark Strong

I've said before on here how there's the possibility of running into an age issue with Magneto given the timeline of the MCU if they keep his holocaust origin story. As a result, and given the fact Magneto and Xavier were a big part of the prequel trilogy, I think their role would be minimised in the MCU. Really they only need Xavier to put the X in X-Men (which they could do within one movie) because power wise, Jean Grey can fill the telepath power role and likewise Polaris can fill in the controlling metal power for Magneto. Therefore, whilst Magneto and Xavier could appear, they could also be gotten rid of by the end of one movie which would be a bold move.

Because of this, it's tempting to just say keep Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan as Xavier and Magneto respectively, especially as they are the right age for what the characters would be within the MCU (late 70s/early 80s/80+) plus they've proven more than capable in the roles before. However, if they did want to go with new actors and avoid using any of the Fox actors, then I suggest Timothy Dalton for Magneto and Mark Strong for Xavier.

Dalton has a commanding presence, a must for Magneto, and if they used de-aging technology for flashbacks (which would be a good way to include Magneto and Xavier within the MCU without affecting present day events) then it's easy to see how Magneto ended up with 4 kids (or at least two if Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver don't count).At 74, Dalton would be within the ballpark of the age a current Magneto would be and they could have him cause havoc for one movie (possibly two) before the torch is passed onto Polaris.

Xavier is less problematic age wise because his origin is not based on a real world event so his friendship with Magneto can feature an age gap so Xavier could stick around depending on his age. Mark Strong could give a calm performance as an Xavier who is perhaps not as wholesome as he likes to make out he is.

Pyro- Matthew McConaughey

This one is just for fun. Who wouldn't want to see McConaughey as a crazy arsonist who is happiest when he's setting something on fire. McConaughey's Pyro could be one of those characters whose minimal screen time doesn't make them any less memorable.

Wolverine- Zach Galifianakis

This one is definitely an unconventional choice but I reckon Galifianakis could surprise people. I think it's almost certain that the MCU will minimise Wolverine's role and push Storm front and centre, not only to differentiate themselves from the Fox movies (and Hugh Jackman's outstanding performance) where Wolverine was a major player but also Disney are going to want to get their diversity quota and Storm ticks those boxes (but at least does it in a way that's not forced). Galifianakis is in his 50s so could play a more grizzled version of Wolverine, he's 5 ft 7 which makes him short (especially against Josh Dallas as Cyclops' 6 ft 1) and he could give the air of someone who has seen a lot of terrible things in his lifetime. His love for Jean could be played as less of a love triangle (through would probably still be considered a love triangle) and more an unrequited longing for intimacy that he has become distanced from. He should know that Jean won't leave Cyclops for him and that she won't reciprocate his feelings in the way he'd want her too but he can't stop how he feels about her.

Polaris- Morena Baccarin or Jeanine Mason

Both women would give a different dynamic to the character, Mason could play a Polaris who is more naive, easily manipulated and emotionally led, whilst Baccarin could play a version whose a little bit tougher and genuinely believes in Magneto's ideology which would enable her transition into taking over Magneto's role. Both women could feasibly play Magneto's (as played by Timothy Dalton) daughter age wise without eyebrows being raised, the major thing would be making sure she doesn't come across as an SJW especially with her green hair. Baccarin probably has an edge over Mason in that regard, she can portray fury as more subtle, tempered but no less stubborn. It's also important that the character isn't treated as basically a gender swapped Magneto in which case Mason may have the edge over Baccarin as her version of Polaris wouldn't be as entrenched in Magneto's ideology as Baccarin's older version of Polaris would be.

Kitty Pryde- Freya Tingley

Ellen Page's Kitty Pryde was always a bit too glum and mopey so a more upbeat and optimistic Kitty Pryde would be a nice change. Freya Tingley could possibly pull that off and given that she's so short, she could also play younger than her actual age.

 

[MilkmanDan]

Couple of lesser known actors who I think might make good villains:

Mystique - Krista Kosonen (Dogs Don't Wear Pants, Beforeigners)

Destiny - Lindsay Duncan (Rome, Sherlock, A Discovery of Witches)

Shadow King - Igal Naor (The Honourable Woman, Green Zone)