10 Best X-Men Movie Castings The MCU Needs To Learn From

10 Best X-Men Movie Castings The MCU Needs To Learn From

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20th Century Fox cast many of its X-Men franchise characters perfectly, so Marvel Studios can learn from or repeat some of these decisions when bringing the X-Men into the MCU. One could argue that without Fox’s X-Men franchise, there would be no MCU, and Kevin Feige’s ever-growing Marvel universe has learned a lot from Fox’s mistakes. One of Fox’s biggest missteps in the X-Men franchise was wasting many actors who were actually perfectly cast for their mutant roles, though these casting choices could inspire the X-Men team of the MCU.

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A number of mutants have already been introduced to the MCU during the Multiverse Saga, though only a handful, including Ms. Marvel and Namor, come from the MCU’s main continuity. Marvel Studios’ development of an official X-Men reboot suggests some iconic mutant heroes and villains will be recreated for the MCU, but some valuable casting lessons can be learned from Fox’s X-Men franchise. Even if many X-Men actors and characters weren’t used to their full potential, some were simply too perfect to ignore, so the MCU can take pointers.

10 Kelsey Grammer As Hank McCoy’s Beast

Kelsey Grammer Debuted As Beast In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

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Hank McCoy’s Beast is known for his sophistication, intellect and animalistic fighting style, all of which Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer embodied perfectly in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Grammer was only ever seen as the blue-furred version of Beast, while Nicholas Hoult explored the character’s origin story in the prequel movies. Grammer’s interpretation was instantly reminiscent of the Beast from the popular X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s, bringing the hero’s well-educated, witty, referential and politically-minded personality into live-action beautifully.

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This casting choice for Beast was inspired, so much so that Marvel Studios brought Kelsey Grammer back to portray a variant of Hank McCoy in the post-credits scene of 2023’s The Marvels. It seems likely that Grammer’s Beast will be seen again in the Multiverse Saga, though, at 69 years old, Grammer himself may not want to take on the role permanently in the MCU’s X-Men reboot. Whoever takes over the role needs to embody the same brilliance and kind authority of Beast from Fox’s franchise, mimicking Grammer’s interpretation while delivering something new and exciting.

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9 James Marsden As Scott Summers’ Cyclops

James Marsden Debuted As Cyclops In X-Men (2000)

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James Marsden’s Cyclops is considered to be one of the most underused and wasted characters in Fox’s X-Men franchise, but this had nothing to do with the casting choice. Marsden has the perfect attractive physical appearance for Scott Summers, and has proven time and again that he is an expert at delivering dramatic and emotive performances, such as those in The Butler and Westworld. Unfortunately, scripts and stories did nothing to elevate Cyclops in the original X-Men trilogy, and, in fact, he was unceremoniously killed off at the start of X-Men: The Last Stand.

Tye Sheridan portrayed Scott Summers’ Cyclops in Fox’s revised timeline from
X-Men: Apocalypse
onwards, but he also failed to capture the true essence of the character from Marvel Comics.

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In Marvel Comics, Scott Summers is hand-picked by Professor X to lead the X-Men, and it would have been great to see James Marsden’s Cyclops fill this role. However, he was reduced to a whiny obstacle in the romance between Jean Grey and Wolverine, which got far more attention than his own relationship with Grey. While Fox underutilized him, Marvel Studios should be on the hunt for a James Marsden-type when casting Cyclops for the MCU, and it would even be great to see Marsden himself reprise the role as a variant in the Multiverse Saga, hopefully seeking redemption.

8 Zazie Beetz As Domino

Zazie Beetz Debuted As Domino In Deadpool 2 (2018)

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Zazie Beetz was one of the last actors to join Fox’s X-Men franchise, as she made her debut in Deadpool 2 as the luck-empowered Domino, a member of Deadpool’s X-Force team. Domino is a badass in Marvel Comics, and Beetz embodied this element of her hardened but hilarious character perfectly, though it was a shame that she didn’t get more focus. Domino is a partner, confidante and even love interest to Cable, and this would have been interesting to explore in Deadpool 2, though perhaps would have diverted too far from the overarching narrative.

It was disappointing that Zazie Beetz’s Domino didn’t return in Deadpool & Wolverine, which bridged the gap between Fox’s X-Men franchise and the MCU. However, it’s very possible that Beetz could debut as the MCU’s official version of Domino, perhaps if Marvel Studios explores the development of the X-Force, X-Corporation or Wild Pack teams. Beetz has quickly risen to stardom with roles in Atlanta, Joker and Invincible, so it would be great to see her return as Domino, as she was an inspired casting choice for the lesser-known mutant antihero.

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7 Kodi Smit-McPhee As Kurt Wagner’s Nightcrawler

Kodi Smit-McPhee Debuted As Nightcrawler In X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

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Many would argue that Alan Cummings’ version of Nightcrawler from X2: X-Men United is actually the superior casting choice, but Kodi Smit-McPhee brought a youthful curiosity and hidden darkness to Kurt Wagner that captured the character’s essence from Marvel Comics perfectly. Similarly to James Marsden, Smit-McPhee was a victim of poor writing in Fox’s X-Men franchise, so he never reached his full potential. Since starring as Nightcrawler, however, Smit-McPhee has seen huge acclaim with roles in The Power of the Dog, Elvis and Disclaimer, so it would be great to see him return in the MCU.

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Kodi Smit-McPhee perfectly encapsulated Nightcrawler’s inquisitive and fun-loving personality. The character is a well-known practical joker in Marvel Comics, and this came across perfectly in Smit-McPhee’s interpretation, far more than Cummings’. Smit-McPhee’s slender physique is also perfect for Nightcrawler, who is incredibly athletic, flexible and agile. Bringing back Smit-McPhee as Kurt Wagner offers the opportunity to better explore his history as the son of Mystique and brother to Rogue, which would be even more powerful now that Smit-McPhee is older and more experienced.

6 Stephen Merchant As Caliban

Stephen Merchant Debuted As Caliban In Logan (2017)

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Stephen Merchant’s depiction of Caliban wasn’t exactly reminiscent of the character’s Marvel Comics counterpart, but Merchant did a fantastic job of delivering a Caliban appropriate for the emotional and dark storyline of Logan. Merchant’s 6 ft 7 in stature certainly aided in his portrayal of the unusual albino mutant, Caliban, whose ability allows him to sense and track other mutants. Merchant made the fantastical Caliban into a grounded and believable character, which is often hard to accomplish, and this should be translated into the MCU.

Caliban previously appeared in the 1983-set
X-Men: Apocalypse
in 2016, where he was portrayed by Tómas Lemarquis, and was perhaps more comic-accurate, but this portrayal wasn’t as strong as Stephen Merchant’s.

While some would prefer to see a more comic-accurate Caliban, perhaps as a member of the Morlocks in the MCU, Stephen Merchant’s interpretation of the mutant was actually far preferable. Merchant delivered a tortured performance, which perfectly reflected the character’s backstory from Marvel Comics, in which Caliban was constantly rejected because of his unusual appearance, and was twice chosen to be transformed into one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen. At his core, Caliban is a dark character, and Stephen Merchant perfectly captured this in Logan, so it would be great to see this repeated.

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5 Patrick Stewart As Charles Xavier’s Professor X

Patrick Stewart Debuted As Professor X In X-Men (2000)

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It will be very hard for a new actor to match the impact of Patrick Stewart’s portrayal of Charles Xavier, the founder and one of the world’s most powerful mutants. The chemistry between Stewart and Ian McKellen, who played Magneto, was incredible, and helped to enhance every moment of Stewart’s time as Professor X. Stewart used his theatrical background to perfectly embody Xavier’s dramatic tones, while also being adept at delivering the more vulnerable and sometimes more aggressive aspects of the character, which will be hard to match.

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Patrick Stewart’s X-Men Movie

Year

X-Men

2000

X2: X-Men United

2003

X-Men: The Last Stand

2006

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009

The Wolverine

2013

X-Men: Days of Future Past

2014

Logan

2017

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

2022

Patrick Stewart returned as a variant of Professor X in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but while he’s been speculated to return again in the Multiverse Saga, it’s very unlikely he’ll reprise the role permanently. Stewart is 84 years old, and Marvel Studios will likely be looking for a younger actor who can portray Professor X for several years. Nevertheless, the essence of Stewart’s interpretation of Charles Xavier, which was very comic-accurate, should be captured in the MCU, and James McAvoy already proved that replicating this would be possible.

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4 Josh Brolin As Cable

Josh Brolin Debuted As Cable In Deadpool 2 (2018)

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Cable is a tough character to bring into live-action, as the gruff soldier from a war-torn future is a difficult persona to grasp. Josh Brolin did a wonderful job in Deadpool 2, however. It seemed as though Brolin, who had also portrayed Thanos in the MCU proper, was born to play Cable, perfectly delivering the character’s hardened nature while also providing some of Deadpool 2’s funniest and most personable moments. It would be great to see Brolin return as Cable, or see the character embody his interpretation in the MCU.

Josh Brolin teased his return as Thanos in the MCU in early 2024, so it’s possible he could reprise both his Marvel roles, especially after
Deadpool & Wolverine
brought Fox’s
X-Men
universe of Earth-10005 into the MCU continuity.

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Josh Brolin’s Cable was not only a rough warrior, but also had a huge amount of vulnerability, which Brolin delivered with ease and effectiveness. Replicating this perfect casting in the MCU would give a more vulnerable and exposed Cable the opportunity to explore some of his more emotional storylines from Marvel Comics, perhaps even delving into his relationship with his parents, Scott Summers and Jean Grey’s clone, Madelyne Pryor. His love-hate relationship with Deadpool would also be great to explore in more detail, so it would be fantastic to see this iteration of Cable return.

3 Hugh Jackman As James “Logan” Howlett’s Wolverine

Hugh Jackman Debuted As Wolverine In X-Men (2000)

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Aside from his height, Hugh Jackman was an inspired casting choice for the role of Wolverine in Fox’s X-Men franchise, and he has gone on to become one of the most iconic and longest-running depictions of a superhero in live-action. In Marvel Comics, Wolverine is 5 ft 3 in, different to Hugh Jackman’s 6 ft 2 in, but Jackman perfectly delivered the gruffness, standoffishness, but vulnerability and kindness, too. Capturing the brooding loner-style of Jackman’s Wolverine would be a great thing for Marvel Studios to repeat, though it would be a mistake for Jackman to return after the Multiverse Saga.

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While Deadpool may have joked about Marvel Studios keeping Jackman around till he’s 90, at 56 years old, Jackman might already be wearing thin of suiting up as Wolverine. The role is incredibly physically demanding, as Wolverine is very agile, has a huge amount of stamina and is an expert fighter. It makes more sense for a younger actor to be cast as Wolverine in the MCU, though it would be great to see the essence of Hugh Jackman’s interpretation repeated – which is something that Henry Cavill captured perfectly in his brief Deadpool & Wolverine cameo.

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2 Ryan Reynolds As Wade Wilson’s Deadpool

Ryan Reynolds Debuted As Deadpool In X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

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Similarly to Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, it’s hard to imagine anyone else becoming Deadpool in the MCU, so, thankfully, it seems likely that Ryan Reynolds will continue to play the hilarious role for as long as possible. After Wade Wilson was literally butchered in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds lobbied for a more comic-accurate version of Deadpool to be brought into Fox’s X-Men franchise. Reynolds’ passion for the role is constantly put on display, and his commitment to getting Deadpool right is incredible, and continues to this day, most recently in Deadpool & Wolverine.

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In 2004, Marvel Comics’ Deadpool described himself as “Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar Pei,” which made Reynolds playing the role five years later, and bringing a comic-accurate version to life 12 years later, kismet. Reynolds’ depiction of Deadpool is perhaps the most faithful adaptation of any comic superhero in live-action, and it would be brilliant to see this continue for years to come. After the huge success of Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems inevitable that Reynolds will return as Deadpool, which is a very exciting prospect for the MCU’s future.

1 Michael Fassbender As Erik Lehnsherr’s Magneto

Michael Fassbender Debuted As Magneto In X-Men: First Class (2011)

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Ian McKellen portrayed Erik Lehnsherr’s Magneto in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, and while he did a fantastic job at delivering the steadfast and morally-ambiguous villain-come-antihero, Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of Magneto was arguably far stronger. Back in the early 2000s, Magneto was depicted as little more than a villain dead-set on killing humans to allow mutants to live. Fassbender’s debut in X-Men: First Class gave the character layers of complexity that McKellen didn’t tap into, and this only increased as the franchise grew, with Fassbender becoming one of the strongest parts of Fox’s later X-Men movies.

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Michael Fassbender’s German roots made Magneto’s tragic backstory even more powerful, even though the actor is not Jewish. Nevertheless, Fassbender’s incredible ability to access immediate vulnerability and to display his strength perfectly and with ease made Magneto an even more captivating and magnetic (pun intended) villain. It would be brilliant to see Michael Fassbender reprise the role of Magneto in the MCU, perhaps now delivering an older and more comic-accurate iteration, but it remains to be seen who will take on this iconic mutant role in the MCU’s upcoming X-Men reboot.

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Marvel’s X-Men is the tentative title for the future debut of the legendary Marvel mutant superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Studio(s) Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Writers Michael Lesslie

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