Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year was packed with announcements and reveals, including new footage from Avengers: Doomsday, confirmation of Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider, and David Jonsson’s casting as the new Black Panther. One project curiously absent from the Comic-Con festivities was the upcoming X-Men reboot, but progress is being made on that front. It was recently reported that Ready or Not star Samara Weaving has been cast as Emma Frost, and there’s no shortage of rumors regarding the rest of the film’s cast. Cyclops is a key character fans want to know more about; it allegedly won’t be Cooper Hoffman playing him, but now a new frontrunner has emerged.
Videos by ComicBook.com
According to industry insider Jeff Sneider, Drew Starkey is reportedly the favorite to play Cyclops in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s X-Men reboot. Fans reactions on social media are mixed. Some are excited by the prospect of Starkey tackling the role, while others would have preferred an actor under the age of 30. Starkey will turn 33 in November.
Cyclops Would Be Drew Starkey’s Second Shot at Comic Book Glory
Drew Starkey isn’t a stranger to comic book adaptations. He previously appeared on one episode of the DC TV series Doom Patrol. If he were to sign on for Cyclops, this would obviously be a much bigger role for the actor. Following Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU’s next saga is expected to primarily focus on mutants, meaning the X-Men would be a key component of the franchise’s future. In the comics, Cyclops is traditionally the leader of the X-Men team, so the character should have a big part in Marvel’s reboot. That will surely be a welcome development for longtime fans; Fox’s movies were criticized for pushing Cyclops to the side to focus more on Wolverine.
Since Marvel’s X-Men is still at least a couple of years away, much about the film is being kept under wraps. However, Kevin Feige has said that he wants X-Men to be a vehicle to explore stories about young outsiders finding their place in the world. That detail is what makes Starkey’s reported status as Cyclops frontrunner fascinating. Based on Feige’s comments, one would think Marvel was specifically targeting younger actors for X-Men roles, but Starkey (if cast) would be in his mid-30s by the time the movie releases (it’s believed it will take one of Disney’s 2028 dates reserved for Marvel movies). Starkey is in the same age range as rumored candidates for Charles Xavier (Bill Skarsgård), suggesting that Cyclops could be in more of a mentor position, guiding younger mutants at Xavier’s school.
That said, the previously rumored Hoffman is 10 years Starkey’s junior, so it’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out. Without many details to go off of, it’s possible Marvel is considering a wide range of options for how certain characters will be portrayed. The filmmakers could be deciding between making Cyclops a younger student learning to control his powers under Xavier or already having him be established as an older leader of the team. Notably, Starkey is only a year younger than Weaving, so perhaps Marvel is planning on depicting their version of Cyclops’ relationship with Emma Frost — which is something that hasn’t been portrayed in the films before. That would help the MCU movie differentiate itself from the Fox era.
Hopefully, some clarity on the X-Men casting rumors will come soon. Marvel was mum during Comic-Con, but later this month is when the D23 Expo takes place. While not as big a pop culture event as Comic-Con, Disney’s subsidiaries still use the convention as a platform to make announcements about future projects. It’s plausible that Marvel didn’t bring the X-Men to Comic-Con because they have plans to make a big splash at D23. Time will tell.
Obsession’s Inde Navarrette Reveals the X-Men Character She Wants to Play, And They’re Not a Hero
More Movies
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Movies
9 hours agoThe Batman Part 2 Set Photo Might Have Accidentally Confirmed A Major Rumored Villain
-
New Line Cinema Movies
12 hours agoFinal Destination: Bloodlines Directors Team With Sam Raimi for Stephen King’s Desperation
-
TV Shows
12 hours agoEverything Coming to Free Streaming For August 2026 – Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV Line-Ups
-
Movies
12 hours agoFormer Marvel Writers Team Up to Revive a Cult UK Toy Brand as a Blockbuster
-
Movies
13 hours agoRyan Reynolds’ New Movie Mayday Had to Make an All-New Camera Rig for a Practical 200 Foot Drop
-
Movies
15 hours agoBarbie Sequel in Jeopardy at Warner Bros., Could A Delay Impact Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider?
-
Movies
19 hours agoSpider-Man: Brand New Day Fully Explains Why The Hulk Is NOT in Avengers: Doomsday
