Marvel Studios’ X-Men movie reportedly has its first villain, and he already has a big role in the MCU. The reboot will introduce a new generation of mutants under Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier, with Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear showrunner Joanna Calo penning the latest draft of the script. Casting rumors swirled around the project all week, though one name now looks far more settled than the rest.
According to a report from Nexus Point News, Tramell Tillman will reprise his role as William Metzger in the X-Men movie, making the anti-mutant character the first villain revealed for the reboot. The Severance star makes his MCU debut as Metzger in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opens in theaters on July 31.
Tillman joined Spider-Man: Brand New Day back in August 2025 in an undisclosed role, one of several mystery additions alongside Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas, who is now confirmed to play Jean DeWolff. The same outlet pinned down the part this February, identifying his character as Metzger, the head of Damage Control and a man with deep contempt for mutants.
That February report also stated that Tillman signed a multi-project deal with Marvel Studios, and the outlet now says the agreement covers the X-Men film. His return would form an early bridge between Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man blockbuster and Jake Schreier’s mutant era, giving the reboot a familiar face before cameras even roll.
Metzger isn’t really a popular character in the comics, but it seems Marvel Studios has big plans for him. Joe Casey and Steve Rude created him for X-Men: Children of the Atom #1 in 1999, where he led the Anti-Mutant Militia before dying at Magneto’s hands. His brief comic history gives Marvel Studios a mostly blank slate to work with and tell their own story with the character.
As for the movie itself, Schreier confirmed this spring that development is well underway, with a fresh script draft in the works after Michael Lesslie wrote an earlier version. Marvel Studios hasn’t announced a release date, a cast, or plot details, but the first concrete updates could come on July 25, when the studio returns to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con.
What Other Villains Could Feature in Marvel Studios’ X-Men Reboot?
The new report addressed a potential second villain as well, one tied to the week’s biggest rumor. Word spread in recent days that Star Wars sequel trilogy star Adam Driver entered talks for the reboot. Insider accounts disagreed on which role he would play, with a few claiming Magneto, though Nexus Point News heard otherwise. Per the outlet, Driver is in consideration for a villainous part that most likely means William Stryker.
Stryker would be a very interesting pick. Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson created the character for the 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, which depicted him as a soldier turned anti-mutant preacher leading a holy war against mutantkind.
Both Metzger and Stryker aren’t superpowered foes (at least Stryker isn’t at the beginning), which means Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot is likely to start on a more grounded note. The first film will likely focus heavily on persecution and save heavy hitters like Apocalypse or Mister Sinister for later films. Magneto will surely surface at some point too, though starting the reboot with him would retread what Fox has already done for the last two decades. Marvel Studios has hinted that their take on the mutants will be distinct from the Fox era, so the first few villains are likely to be interesting and bold choices.
