At D23, we've finally got news about the MCU's very first standalone X-Men movie as the full cast took to the stage during Marvel's portion of the Disney Entertainment Showcase, confirming many recent rumors.
Alongside director Jake Schreier and Jean Grey star Sadie Sink, several major cast members were announced for Marvel Studios' long-anticipated X-Men, including:
- Kit Connor as Cyclops
- Christopher Abbott as Professor X
- Inde Navarette as Rogue
- Maya Boyd as Storm
- Samara Weaving as Emma Frost
- Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury (aka Mr. Sinister)
The Marvel movie's release date was also confirmed for May 5, 2028. Notably missing from the lineup was Charles Melton, who recently offered a cryptic response when the Beast casting rumors were put to him, as was Alien: Romulus star Cailee Spaeny. She was long rumored to play Rogue, but we now know the role went to Navarette.
An MCU X-Men movie was announced all the way back in 2019 at SDCC, with Kevin Feige telling IGN that Marvel's X-Men would be quite different from 20th Century Fox's approach. There wasn't much by way of news until 2023, when Feige announced that the studio was taking pitches from screenwriters.
The following year, Michael Lesslie (Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) was announced as the sole screenwriter. In 2025, Thunderbolts helmer Jake Schreier was tapped as director. Back in April, it was reported that Beef writers Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo had been hired to rewrite the script.
It's worth noting that an MCU X-Men movie was indeed planned before the inception of Deadpool and Wolverine, but I think we can thank Ryan Reynolds and co. for the addition of the original 20th Century Fox X-Men in Avengers: Doomsday (and for helping keep the mutant hype going).
For more, keep up with other upcoming Marvel movies and shows, and stay up to date with this year's convention with our D23 liveblog.
