On the heels of director Jake Schreier explicitly warned fans that the internet’s X-Men casting shortlists weren’t coming anywhere near his official writing room, a brand-new, heavyweight rumor has entered the arena. According to a fresh report from insider Jeff “The In” Sneider, May December and Riverdale breakout Charles Melton is in early contention for a major role in Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated X-Men reboot.
According to Sneider, Melton–along with others such as Peter Claffey–is being considered for the role of Hank McCoy/The Beast.
Melton earned massive critical acclaim and an Oscar buzz campaign for his deeply layered, heartbreaking performance in Todd Haynes’ May December. He has proven he possesses the dramatic gravity and underlying sensitivity needed to play a brilliant scientist struggling with a tragic, progressive physical mutation.
At 35 years old, Melton falls into a perfect sweet spot for a multi-film franchise commitment. He is young enough to carry the character through a decade of Phase 7 storylines, but mature enough to convincingly portray a world-class geneticist.
If Melton is truly being eyed for Hank McCoy, it could suggest Marvel Studios is leaning toward a framework reminiscent of the classic X-Men: Evolution animated series. In that continuity, established, slightly older adult mutants like Beast and Storm acted as mentors, while characters like Scott Summers and Jean Grey were framed as the younger generation of students.
For decades, live-action iterations of Beast have been defined by the excellent, theatrical portrayals of Kelsey Grammer and Nicholas Hoult. Sneider’s scoop could indicate Kevin Feige is looking to completely redefine the visual tapestry of the core team for the MCU native timeline. Melton brings a commanding presence and an incredible emotional range that would instantly elevate Hank McCoy from a standard CGI heavy-hitter into the psychological heart and soul of the new Xavier Mansion.
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