The long wait is nearly over as the X-Men are finally set to come to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for good. As soon as Disney acquired Fox and the rights to the X-Men came over to them, fans had all sorts of ideas for how the X-Men could join the franchise. So far, we’ve seen a mention of mutants in Ms. Marvel, the return of Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, an appearance by Beast in The Marvels, and the introduction of Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The story surrounding Jean Grey is the biggest move in setting the stage for what’s to come. The D23 Expo in August 2026 revealed that the MCU’s X-Men movie is officially slated to arrive in 2028, and they didn’t stop there with the announcements. Six actors were brought on stage and a seventh appeared on screen to give us an exciting cast so far.
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There is still a great chance that the cast could expand, as the X-Men usually comprise more than six heroes and one villain. However, the seven characters announced so far, on both sides of the fight, have the potential to deliver something great.
7) Mister Sinister
Also known as Nathaniel Milbury, Mister Sinister is one of the most prominent villains in X-Men lore. To date, we have seen him in X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97, but in terms of live-action, there was only a tease at the end of The New Mutants, which is mostly a forgotten film. It looks like Mister Sinister will be the main antagonist of the MCU’s first X-Men movie, which already feels fresh. Inspired by Charles Darwin, he’s obsessed with engineering the ultimate evolutionary life form.
Mister Sinister has tormented Jean Grey and Cyclops often, even going as far as to create a Jean clone to reproduce with Cyclops so that Cable could be born. He’s also created clones of himself. There are plenty of stories they could pull from that showcase Mister Sinister’s evil nature, including his ordering of a mutant massacre and his work alongside the Nazis. Adam Driver, of Star Wars, Girls, and Marriage Story fame, is playing Mister Sinister, which fulfills a popular fan choice.
6) Professor X
One of the X-Men characters who is the most difficult to portray at this point is Professor Charles Xavier. Patrick Stewart has done a fantastic job as the character since 2000 and is even reprising the role this year in Avengers: Doomsday, while James McAvoy was tremendous in the prequels. Christopher Abbott (Girls, Poor Things, Sanctuary) is taking over as Professor X, who is famously the leader of the X-Men.
It will be interesting to see what the MCU does with their take on Professor X. Since we’ve seen so much of the hero over the years, it’ll be hard to stand out this time around. That’s especially true with Stewart already playing Charles twice in the MCU. Abbott will be around 20 years younger than Stewart was when he started as Professor X, so this seems like it will be a less experienced Charles, which fits the theme of some of the other casting choices.
5) Rogue
The inclusion of Rogue in the upcoming X-Men film opens the door for some intriguing MCU stories. The character was played by Anna Paquin in the Fox movies, though she wasn’t given all that much to work with. Rogue has been a focal point of X-Men ’97 and it’s to that show’s benefit. The MCU X-Men movie could do a lot with Rogue, a mutant with the ability to absorb everything from the superpowers to the memories of whoever she touches.
Including her in the MCU could lead to a famous comic story where Rogue touched Captain Marvel and stole her powers. That could be a great plot for a third movie centering on Captain Marvel. There’s also Rogue’s complicated romance with Gambit, a mutant who hasn’t been cast outside of Channing Tatum’s upcoming appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. Rogue will be portrayed by Inde Navarrette, an actor who is fresh off a stellar performance in Obsession.
4) Emma Frost
Emma Frost is an interesting addition to the character list as she has been both a member of the X-Men and an antagonist. In fact, the most notable big-screen adaptation of the character was as a villain in X-Men: First Class, played by January Jones. This time around, Emma will be played by Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Scream VI, The Babysitter) in a casting choice that has people excited. Emma, like Jean Grey, has telepathic abilities, though she can also turn into organic diamond.
Including Emma Frost in this cast also adds to the potential for a love triangle. Instead of Wolverine, it’s Emma who has a notable triangle with Cyclops and Jean Grey, which could bring tension to the titular team. Even without that romantic aspect, her relationship with Jean could be a highlight due to their similar powers. It’s more likely that Emma takes on something of a leadership role with the X-Men, given how Weaving is closer to Abbott in age than to the actors playing Rogue, Storm, Jean, and Cyclops.
3) Storm
The most unexpected casting choice of this MCU X-Men film is Maya Boyd as Storm. While the rest of the cast are rising stars or established names, this is the first feature film role landed by Boyd. That said, despite being only 23, Boyd is already an accomplished stage performer, so her talent is obviously there. Some of the best casting choices in superhero movie history were relative unknowns, like Iman Vellani, Hugh Jackman, and Tom Holland, so the precedent has been set.
Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm, has the ability to control the weather and atmosphere. She is an Omega-Level mutant, making her one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. While Halle Berry was good in the role in the past, we’d like to see Storm be more prominent in this version of the X-Men. Like Rogue, it’ll be interesting to see her interact with other MCU characters, especially given her prominent romantic relationship with Black Panther. Storm being a member of the X-Men and the queen consort of Wakanda would be incredible to see.
2) Cyclops
Cyclops, real name Scott Summers, has mostly been poorly handled outside of the comic books. The Fox movies saw James Marsden portray him, and he was relegated to bickering with Wolverine, while X-Men: The Animated Series saw him play second fiddle to more popular heroes. X-Men ’97 has done a great job of rectifying that, and this upcoming X-Men movie should continue that trend, especially if Wolverine doesn’t get added to the mix. It’ll allow Scott to stand on his own.
Cyclops emits powerful beams from his eyes that he controls with special eyewear. He eventually grows into the leader of the X-Men and starting with him at a young age means we could watch that evolution over several films. The creation of a mutant inhibitor in Spider-Man: Brand New Day makes things interesting for Scott, who might want to take it to suppress his powers, which have often caused him problems. It could also drive a wedge between him and Jean. Kit Connor (Heartstopper, Warfare) will be playing Cyclops in 2028.
1) Jean Grey
The only member of this X-Men team that we have already seen is Jean Grey. She made her debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the film’s main antagonist for the most part. The movie gave her a different origin story, as she uses her powers to get revenge on the Department of Damage Control after they captured and tortured her older sister for having similar abilities. Jean is a powerful telepath who has been depicted on the big screen by two different actors in the past.
Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner both did well in the role, yet their franchises often rushed through elements and never did major stories, like the Phoenix Saga, justice. Sadie Sink has already brought something great to the role, stealing the show in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The fact that the masses in the MCU see her as a villain right now will make her inclusion in the X-Men complicated, though it’s likely that Professor X goes a long way towards turning her into a full-fledged hero.
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