Marvel Studios has started casting its “X-Men” reboot, and we might be in for some talented eye candy.
First off, sources tell Deadline that Samara Weaving is close to signing on to play Emma Frost in “X-Men.” Director Jake Schreier and Kevin Feige believe Weaving was the best fit of the many actresses who auditioned for Frost. A source tells Deadline that “Weaving’s audition was too hard to beat,” and she landed the part earlier this week.
Frost, a telepathic Mutant, was most recently played by January Jones in “X-Men: First Class” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
We love Weaving. Not just for “Ready or Not,” but also for her killer turn in this year’s “Carolina Caroline,” which was an underseen indie gem that deserved a bigger audience. It currently sits at a 90% Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh score.
Furthermore, “Obsession” breakout Inde Navarette tells Variety that she recently met with Feige and is interested in playing Mystique, originally portrayed by Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence in past X-Men instalments. Yes, please!
Add in the persistent rumors that Cailee Spaeny is in contention to play Rogue, and you have a trio of talented, eye-catching actresses — Weaving, Navarette, and Spaeny — ready to steer “X-Men” forward. Oh, and, of course, Sadie Sink.
Prior to today, I couldn’t have cared less about this latest “X-Men” reboot, but now you have my attention.
Details remain scarce about Marvel’s upcoming “X-Men” reboot. What we do know is that “Thunderbolts” director Jake Schreier is officially at the helm. Previously, Michael Lesslie — known for “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” — was scripting the film, revising an earlier draft by Aaron Rabin and Zach Dean. It now appears the screenplay has undergone another rewrite by “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and “The Bear” writer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo.
The upcoming reboot is being billed as the X-Men’s major return to theaters since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019. Fox’s previous X-Men franchise, which included seven main films and three Wolverine spin-offs, stumbled after 2019’s “Dark Phoenix” flopped with critics and audiences alike.
Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.