Summary
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has recruited notable actors from all around Hollywood for its comic book roles. With the MCU now preparing to wrap up the Multiverse Saga and head into its next era, oneStranger Thingsstar is being eyed for a huge role.
Marvel is currently in the middle of Phase 5 withCaptain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*,andFantastic Four: First Stepsnext on the slate. Looking past that,a pair ofAvengersmovies (Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars) areset to wrap up the Multiverse Saga before theMCUmoves into its next phase. This new era is speculated to bring mutants fully into the MCU, which will involve a newX-Menmovie. Since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the rights to Marvel’s X-Men characters now sit with Marvel Studios, and studio president Kevin Feige has made it clear he intends tobring the X-Men to the MCU.
The MCU’s X-Men Casting Rumors Heat Up
Rumors about the cast of the new X-Men team are starting to heat up. Industry insider Jeff Sneider reported on hispodcast and websitethatStranger Thingsstar Sadie Sink is currently being considered for a role in the MCU as Jean Grey, aka the Dark Phoenix. The role was held by Famke Janssen in the originalX-Mentrilogy and then byGame of Thronesstar Sophie Turner in the prequelsX-Men: ApocalypseandX-Men: Dark Phoenix. Sink is best known for herrole as Max inStranger Things, which she will reprise in the fifth and final season in 2025. She has also starred inThe Whale,opposite Brendan Fraser, Netflix’sFear Street Part Two: 1978, and Taylor Swift’sAll Too Wellshort film. It’s unclear whether Sink has auditioned for the role, has been offered the part, or is just in early consideration for the character.
How Will The X-Men Be Brought Into the MCU?
The MCU’sX-Menmovie has yet to attach a director or confirm a release date, so it’s still very early days for the project, and as such any rumors should be taken cautiously until confirmed. It seems likely that the X-Men will be a big part of the MCU post-Avengers: Secret Wars, but that doesn’t preclude the mutant team being set up in the sixthAvengersfilm. “The whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men,”Feige confirmed earlier in the year.
Some X-Men characters were recently introduced into the MCU inDeadpool & Wolverine, which saw Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprise their roles. However, the pair stillexist in a different part of the Multiverseto the Sacred Timeline. It’s possible thatAvengers: Secret Warswill change all that, and introduce a continuity where the Avengers and X-Men exist on the same Earth for the first time in the MCU. However it ends up happening, expectations are high for the MCU’sX-Menmovie, and fans are eager to see which actors take on the roles of the iconic characters.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
