X-Men Reboot Announced with New Cast at D23 Event

Marvel Studios revealed a new lineup of actors for its upcoming X-Men movie during the D23 fan event held in Anaheim, California. The announcement came after weeks of speculation and rumors about who would take on key roles in the rebooted franchise.

Sadie Sink, who recently appeared in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, will play Jean Grey in the film, according to lehighvalleylive.com. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2028, according to Disney.

Disney gained control of the X-Men franchise in 2019 after acquiring 20th Century Fox. The studio has been working to integrate the X-Men into its Marvel Cinematic Universe since then.

Kevin Feige, director Jake Schreier, and Sadie Sink took the stage at D23 to introduce the main cast members, according to a report from comicbook.com. Kit Connor has been cast as Cyclops, while Christopher Abbott will play Professor Charles Xavier. Samara Weaving is set to portray Emma Frost, and Maya Boyd will play Storm.

Inde Navarrette has been selected for the role of Rogue, replacing Cailee Spaeny who was widely expected to get the part. Adam Driver will appear as Nathaniel Milbury, a civilian identity tied to the villain Mister Sinister.

The casting process for Cyclops involved multiple actors who tested for the role before the final decision was made. Drew Starkey from Outer Banks was considered a top contender but was ultimately not chosen. Cooper Hoffman’s name also circulated widely, though he denied involvement in the project.

Asa Butterfield was among the final candidates considered for the role, but Kit Connor beat him out. Professor Xavier’s casting process also had several strong contenders including Bill Skarsgård and Tom Pelphrey.

Christopher Abbott was ultimately chosen to play the character, making him one of the youngest actors to portray Xavier. Emma Frost’s casting search included Sydney Sweeney and Margot Robbie before Samara Weaving was selected.

Rogue’s role had the most controversy, with Cailee Spaeny being considered a favorite by fans before Inde Navarrette was confirmed. Some fans expressed disappointment over Spaeny’s exclusion, while others supported Navarrette’s selection based on her performance in Obsession.

Marvel Studios has confirmed that this is only the beginning of its X-Men announcements. Fans are hopeful that Spaeny might be cast in another role, such as Kitty Pryde, in future installments.

The D23 event took place at the Anaheim Convention Center on August 14, 2026. Alexander Delayat of Lyon, France, was among the fans dressed as characters from the Marvel universe.

The same event featured appearances by other X-Men-related figures and fans, al.com reported. Disney’s acquisition of the franchise has led to increased anticipation for how it will be integrated into the Marvel universe.

IMAGE: scott summers, cyclops
New York Comic-Con, Saturday, February7th, 2009.

If you see yourself in this or any of my other pictures, let me know in the comments, or by emailing me at loser: [at] istolethe [dot] tv.. Photo: istolethetv from Hong Kong, China / Wikimedia, taken 2009-02-07, CC BY 2.0