X-Men: First Class may currently be shooting right here in the UK, but that doesn’t mean its casting department gets to rest back on its laurels.
A new character in the form of Riptide has been welcomed into the fold, with Alex Gonzalez taking on the role of the comic book henchman.
In the X-Men comics, Riptide is a mutant who works alongside the villainous Mr Sinister. Imbued with the ability to spin at a fast rate, Riptide attacks by hurling shuriken (ninja stars) from his body with such speed that they can smash through solid steel.
Though Mr Sinister is not believed to be appearing in the movie, there’s a chance Riptide could become a henchman to main First Class villain Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon.
Considering the lateness of his casting, though, we imagine Riptide will only play a minor role in the flick – akin to Kitty Pride’s first blink-and-miss-her appearance in X2 . Still, good to see that the production’s paying as much attention to its secondary characters as its primaries.