The forthcoming X-Men film – the first in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) history – is causing a casting frenzy in Hollywood, with many actors meeting with the studio to lobby for roles.
Following the return of former X-Men cast members in upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday, a brand new generation of stars will play the mutant characters in a standalone film, directed by Jake Schreier.
Schreier and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige are believed to be meeting with a variety of contenders for each role, with Deadline claiming that Kit Connor is the top choice to play Cyclops, the role played by James Marsden in three films from 2000 to 2006.
Marsden’s Cyclops also had a cameo appearance in prequel X-Men: First Class (2011) – with the younger version of his character played by Tye Sheridan – and will reprise the role in Doomsday, which is out in December.
The new report arrives days after it was also claimed that Ready or Not star Samara Weaving would take on the role of Emma Frost, a character previously played by January Jones in X-Men: First Class (2011). The Independent has contacted Connor and Weaving for comment.
Connor, 22, is best known for Netflix teen series Heartstopper, in which he plays a schoolboy who develops romantic feelings for his friend. He appeared in the series opposite Joe Locke, who is also a Marvel star thanks to a role in Disney+ series Agatha All Along. Heartstopper ran for three seasons and recently concluded with a film.
Elsewhere, Connor, who was born in Croydon, London, has had roles in Rocketman, playing a teen Elton John, animated fantasy film The Wild Robot and the violent thriller Warfare, based on Ray Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a US Navy SEAL.
He also played Romeo in a contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet on Broadway with Rachel Zegler.
Meanwhile, Weaving, 34, is an Australian star who shot to fame on soap Home and Away and is best known for playing the lead character in horror franchise Ready or Not.
Plans to fold the X-Men into the MCU have been in the works ever since 21st Century Fox merged with Disney in 2019, in a deal worth $71.3bn (£53.9bn).
Fox previously owned the rights to the characters, meaning the X-Men and associated characters, including Wolverine and Deadpool, were unable to appear in the MCU, an umbrella of superhero films that was launched with Iron Man in 2008.
The first key film marking the crossover was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), which featured a cameo from Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier. Following this, Deadpool & Wolverine was released in 2024 and a surprise X-Men cameo has reared its head in blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is in cinemas now. (No spoilers here.)
Next, Marsden and a number of his X-Men co-stars, including Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Kelsey Grammer (Beast) will fight along Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Mr Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) in Avengers: Doomsday.