Marvel Studios broke the internet this evening at D23 by announcing the casting of “Obsession” breakout Inde Navarrette as Rogue in their upcoming X-Men reboot. Anna Paquin previously portrayed the character in four X-Men movies.
Navarrette had previously mentioned to Variety that she recently met with Marvel chief Kevin Feige and was very interested in Mystique, originally portrayed by Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence in past X-Men instalments. Looks like Rogue was the next best option for her.
Feige might even have an Oscar nominee when all is said and done, as Navarrette is set to be awards-campaigned this fall for her performance in “Obsession.” She is the absolute standout in that film, which has grossed almost $500M worldwide against a $750K budget—her performance is deranged, hilarious, and terrifying all at once. Now she’s an X-Men.
Also announced at D23 were the previously reported Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Maya Boyd as Storm, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, and Adam Driver as Mr. Sinister.
Back to Navarrette, she’s been all glowy about Marvel lately, stating, “what Jake [Schreier] brought to ‘Thunderbolts’ was what I used to love about Marvel. It was character-driven, and the whole time I just couldn’t stop gushing about how much I appreciated what he did with Marvel.”
No surprise, Schreier will be directing ‘X-Men.’ Previously, Michael Lesslie (“The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”) was scripting the film from drafts by Aaron Rabin and Zach Dean. The screenplay now appears to have been rewritten by “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and “The Bear” writer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo.
More roles still need to be cast for X-Men, so expect additional announcements in the coming weeks — perhaps even days. One rumor suggests Charles Melton could be playing Beast. But what about Gambit? Magneto? And, of course, who will play Wolverine? That’s the big question. Despite six cast members already being announced, the rumors are unlikely to stop anytime soon.
‘X-Men’ is currently slated to hit theaters worldwide in May 5, 2028.
The trailer doesn’t exactly paint a sunny picture. In fact, things look pretty miserable in Marvel land. Sue Storm is seen in tears, while Doctor Doom appears to be on a revenge tour.