Tag: Secret Wars

  • Ryan Reynolds Ignites ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Speculation with New Instagram Post

    Ryan Reynolds Ignites ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Speculation with New Instagram Post

    It has been about two and a half months since Marvel Studios used empty chairs to capture the entire world’s attention for roughly five hours while revealing part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. While rumors have circulated that 33 more stars will eventually be announced as part of the cast, bringing the count to 60, so far, Marvel Studios has remained quiet on that front. However, one MCU star just ignited speculation that further casting reveals may be imminent.

    Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds shared an image of an Avengers “A” overlayed with an anarchy symbol–seen in Cassandra Nova’s lair in the 2024 film–causing fans to believe an announcement that Reynolds has joined Avengers: Doomsday is pending.

    While Reynolds has stated in the past that he doesn’t want his character to join the Avengers and X-Men, he does see a path forward for Deadpool in big team-up films. “The character trait I love most about Deadpool is that he’s a fanboy. His enthusiasm and longing to be part of a team is really endearing to me. It’s his overarching wish-fulfillment story. But I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man,” Reynolds explained. “If he becomes either, we’re at the end.

    I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted,” said Reynolds. With a clear vision for the character from Reynolds and with MCU boss Kevin Feige “wondering where we can fit [Deadpool and Wolverine] in, and how quickly,” it would be shocking not to see Wade Wilson and Logan make an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars.

  • ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Writer Shares Ideas for Uncertain Sequel

    ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Writer Shares Ideas for Uncertain Sequel

    Marvel’s First Family finally joined the MCU in The Fantastic Four: First Steps just in time to help the Avengers and X-Men attempt to save a collapsing Multiverse. While the film hasn’t blown up the box office, Disney head honcho Bob Iger stated that the film, directed by Matt Shakman, “successfully launched this important franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” ahead of their appearances in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars; however, at this point, despite rumors that Marvel Studios was set to move ahead with a sequel, again directed by Shakman, there has been no official word.

    With four unfilled dates on its 2028 theatrical slate, Marvel could be eyeing one of them for a sequel to First Steps but if they are, they haven’t told anyone yet, including the writer of the first film, Eric Pearson. In an interview with Comic Book, Pearson, who has worked on several MCU films, including Thunderbolts*, explained that while he has some great ideas for a sequel, there’s a really good reason he hasn’t begun work on one just yet.

    LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 21: Eric Pearson attends The Fantastic Four: First Steps World Premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California on July 21, 2025. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney)

    I honestly don’t know. I’m such a literal person that I would need to understand the fallout of how everything looks and who knows who out of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars,” he explained. “I don’t know where we are all sitting. Sometimes, when everything is on the table, you don’t know what to eat.” With Avengers: Doomsday deep into its production and still with an unfinished script, Pearson‘s point is very to the point.

    Would it be cool to see them in a murder mystery together? Sure. Would it be cool to see them in a time-travelling romp? Sure, that would be cool. There are all these different things, but you don’t want to completely upset the apple cart,” he explained of trying to make plans for the First Family without knowing what will happen to them in two Avengers films over the next two years. “I feel like anything I’d have to say really doesn’t matter until we see how all our favorite characters survive the upcoming adventures with Victor von Doom.” With Avengers: Secret Wars primed to rest the MCU into what Kevin Feige called a “single timeline,” here’s to hoping The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom both find their ways onto it for many more adventures.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Kevin Feige Teases Marvel’s Post-‘Secret Wars’ Slate Which Runs Through 2032

    Kevin Feige Teases Marvel’s Post-‘Secret Wars’ Slate Which Runs Through 2032

    Marvel Studios won’t be making a splash by revealing its upcoming slate in Hall H during SDCC this weekend but that doesn’t mean the powers that be at the studio aren’t working hard on putting it together. As of now, the studio has only scheduled films through 2028, but as always, Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige is kicking the can quite a bit further down the road. “It’s traditionally a five-year plan,” he said. “I think it goes to 2032 right now.

    With the studio looking to release between 1 to 3 films a year and having only officially commented on a few projects in the works (Black Panther 3, X-Men and the long-delayed Blade film), that leaves quite a few holes to fill on that new slate. Given the looming success of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a sequel to that film seems all but a sure thing and there are plenty of other projects that have either been rumored or known to be in development but, as of now, Feige would only offer up a tease of how the studio hopes to return to one of its greatest strengths.

    We were talking about a structure of an upcoming post-‘Secret Wars’ movie that I won’t name,” he said during a recent press event. “But I will say, like Shang-Chi, [it’s] getting back to what genre haven’t we done and want to do and how could this movie be that genre? [We would] focus on a singular storyline by embracing a certain genre we haven’t seen in a while. [It’s] remembering what cinema is and what movie going is and what entertaining audiences is,” said the Marvel boss.

    While that’s about all he gave away in terms of teasing upcoming projects, Feige did reveal that the seven-year plan will see 2027’s Multiverse Saga finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, “reset” the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than reboot it.” “Reboot is a scary word,” said Marvel’s Big Cheese. “Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines.”

    According to Feige, resetting the MCU means recasting roles, some of which have been filled by beloved actors for more than a decade…or two. “X-Men is where that will happen next,” he revealed while talking about the studio’s upcoming film, which he confirmed will be helmed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier. However, the future won’t just feature new actors as Cyclops and Jean Grey; it will also include the studio eventually recasting the roles of Captain America, Iron Man and Black Panther, among others.

    They have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different and who feel Other and who feel like they don’t belong. That’s the universal story of mutants, and that is where we’re going.

    -Kevin Feige on Marvel Studios X-Men

    Amy Pascal and David Heyman are now searching for a new James Bond,” said Feige of Sony’s efforts to relaunch the 007 franchise. “David [Corenswet], the new Superman — he was awesome. That will always be the case,” Feige said of seeing new names take over roles from previous stars. “I think it’s hard for anybody to do that when an actor has done such a great role,” he said of replacing actors such as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in iconic roles before adding. “How are they going to ever replace Sean Connery [as James Bond], right?

    It’s interesting that Feige chose to sat down with reporters rather than attempt to thrill fans at SDCC; however, given the major changes to the plans the studio revealed at SDCC ’19 and SDCC ’22, the days of the major slate reveals may be behind Marvel Studios or, at the very least, they’ll be done in much smaller doses. For now, it’s clear that the bulk of the studio’s attention is being directed toward making sure Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars leave fans satiated with the Multiverse Saga before taking yet another step into the unknown in 2028.

    Source: Variety

  • Kevin Feige Reveals Why Miles Morales Has Yet to Appear in the MCU

    Kevin Feige Reveals Why Miles Morales Has Yet to Appear in the MCU

    Since first appearing in Marvel Comics Ultimate Fallout #4 in 2011, Miles Morales has become one of Marvel’s most popular and important characters. In addition to becoming a major player for the publisher, Morales is also the centerpiece of both a video game franchise and an animated movie trilogy by Sony, while also appearing in a handful of other animated projects. In less than 15 years, Miles Morales has developed into one of Marvel’s most marketable characters and has popped up everywhere…except in a live-action film.

    In 2023, producer Amy Pascal indicated that Sony was developing a live-action Miles Morales feature film and in 2024, Marvel Studios’ Big Cheese, Kevin Feige, shared his hopes that the character would one day appear in a live-action MCU film once the animated Spider-Verse trilogy concluded. Now, in a wide-ranging press event, Feige has revealed why the character has not yet appeared in a Marvel Studios film despite being referenced in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

    When asked to update the status of the live-action Morales-centric project, Feige provided a blunt response. “That is nowhere,” he stated, before adding some context.”Sony has their brilliant, genius, incredible Spider-Verse animated franchise going and until that finishes, we’ve been told to stay away,” Feige explained, dampening hopes for the character to make an appearance in next year’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

    Sony’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the finale of the Spider-Verse trilogy, will release on June 25, 2027, six months before Marvel Studios wraps up the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027. Perhaps coincidentally, both films have seen their release dates changed in the past few months, creating the opportunity for Morales to debut in Avengers: Secret Wars, should Sony and Marvel Studios be able to agree upon a fitting entrance. Given the lengths Marvel has gone to include characters from non-MCU films in the Multiverse Saga and the fact that the Spider-Verse franchise is also rooted in the Multiverse, it’s entirely possible that there’s more than serendipity at work and that a dovetail from the Spider-Verse to Secret Wars may be carved, allowing the popular animated version of the character to enter the live-action fray.

    Source: Variety

  • Elizabeth Olsen Delivers Crushing Scarlet Witch Update

    Elizabeth Olsen Delivers Crushing Scarlet Witch Update

    It would seem the rumors of Wanda Maximoff’s imminent return to the MCU have been greatly exaggerated. Wanda stans were devastated when the character was seemingly killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; however, that tide of grief was soon stemmed when Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige made it clear that the final chapter in Wanda’s story had not yet been told.

    There really is so much more to explore. We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. I don’t know that we saw her under rubble? I saw a tower coming down, and a little red flash. I don’t know what that means.

    -Kevin Feige

    While it’s yet to be confirmed, it seems that while the collapse of Mount Wundagore may have been the end for the Scarlet Witch, somehow Wanda Maximoff surivived. For her part, Elizabeth Olsen had remained fairly tight-lipped on the plans for the character, only recently confirming that she does want to return in the role and teasing that she has a pretty specific idea of what she’d like to do. “Well, honestly, if I were to tell you exactly what I would want I think I would maybe be spoiling something,” said Olsen at a fan convention in November. “Kevin Feige genuinely asks us what we want to do with the character and then he does it [Laughs] so I don’t know if I can share…I just want to come back.” As excited as fans are to have her back and as willing as she is to come back, it seems as though the wait for Olsen’s return as Wanda will be longer than anyone thought.

    In an interview with THR, Olsen confirmed that she will not be part of Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
    scarlet witch spinoff

    No, I’m back [in the States]. I just finished [Panic Carefully],” said Olsen when asked if the Russo brothers were going to extend her stay in the UK. “I’m moving on to filming a pilot for FX,” she then said, explaining why she’ll be absent from the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday.

    Interestingly, while Olsen’s absence from the next two Avengers films will certainly be disappointing–and likely the final nail in the coffins of quite a few social media scoopers who have been hyping her character’s major role in the films–it may make the long-rumored Scarlet Witch solo film even more likely. Late last year, rumors began to swirl that WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer was working on a script for such a project. When asked if she could talk about the rumors, Schaeffer replied “not right now” which only fueled speculation that she had moved off of the studio’s Vision project to begin work on the Wanda-centric film. Of course, with everything at the studio continuing to be in flux, it may be some time before we find out exactly what the plans are to bring Wanda back to the MCU.

    Source: THR

  • Russo Brothers Reveal What Exactly Sets ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ Apart from ‘Endgame’

    Russo Brothers Reveal What Exactly Sets ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ Apart from ‘Endgame’

    Despite having directed four of Marvel Studios’ best Infinity Saga films, Anthony and Joe Russo are still dividing the MCU fan base by returning to direct the studio’s next two Avengers films. While there’s no doubt that the brothers delivered a compelling two-pary finale in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, one faction of the fan base sees their return for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as desperation on the part of Kevin Feige as he tries to save the Multiverse Saga through gimmicks, such as casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and then using him to help lure the Russos back.

    The brothers are no stranger to the derision of Marvel’s fans, however. When it was announced that the directing duo were taking over the Captain America franchise for 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Internet was sure there was no way that the brothers, who were known for their comedy chops, could handle the big action necessary for such a film. The result, of course, was an MCU action film that remains the standard for the ever-growing franchise. And so as the Russos prepare for production on Avengers: Doomsday, perhaps it’s best to wait to see the finish project before judging it.

    Convincing an increasingly divided fan base to be patient is a losing battle, of course, especially in an increasingly volatile social media ecosystem where some are convinced the brothers are going to attempt to cut and paste and sprinkle in some AI magic, making Doomsday and Secret Wars nothing more than pale imitations of Infinity War and Endgame. However, in a recent interview with Omlete, the brothers disputed that notion, revealing one major difference between their last pair of Avengers films and their upcoming pair.

    What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning,” explained Joe Russo. “It’s a new beginning. We told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story.

    Obviously there’s a little to unpack there as Avengers: Secret Wars has been earmarked as the end of the Multiverse Saga for years. While that’s likely still the case, Joe Russo‘s comments almost certainly stem from the idea that the Multiverse Saga will conclude with the birth of a new iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which combines characters from realities across the Multiverse. The brothers recently revealed that Avengers: Secret Wars will take inspiration from both Jim Shooter’s 1984 Secret Wars and Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 very different book of the same name. As for what to expect after this new “beginning” teased by the Russos, Kevin Feige has already let that cat out of the bag…

  • ‘Avengers’ Concept Art Shines a Light on Marvel Studios’ Black Panther Plans

    ‘Avengers’ Concept Art Shines a Light on Marvel Studios’ Black Panther Plans

    In recent months, multiple reports have combined to paint a muddled picture of Marvel Studios’ plans for the future of the Black Panther franchise. In early January, Jeff “The In” Snieder shared that he had heard that the studio intended to recast T’Challa ahead of Avengers: Doomsday and that the new actor would reprise the role in Avengers: Secret Wars and again in Black Panther 3. Sneider has a pretty high success rate when it comes to scooping Marvel news but admittedly does not keep up with all the inner workings of the MCU; so, when his report was refuted by social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, who suggested that the studio was actually looking to recast the role of T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, most fans adjusted their expectations.

    In February, Marvel Studios’ Parliament member Nate Moore addressed the rumors of a potential recast of T’Challa and effectively ended the conversation, saying that until the studio knew what the story was for Black Panther 3, they were not able to make a decision on replacing the late Chadwick Boseman in the role. Now, some intriguing evidence has emerged that might well explain the source of the rumblings shared by Sneider without making a liar out of Moore.

    We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting. It certainly wasn’t our instinct for Wakanda Forever. I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.

    -Nate Moore

    In what may end up being one of the biggest Marvel Studios’ oopsies ever, Senior Concept/Visual Development Artist Mushk Rizvi posted a significant amount of concept art from the studio’s upcoming slate to her Art Station account. Among there were several designs for a new Black Panther that looked to be using actor Damson Idris as a model. Those designs have since been removed so we certainly won’t be embedding them here; however, inspecting the details of those files provided details that seem to support Sneider’s claims.

    Each of the six different files includes both a reference to the project they were designed for and the name of the character. The files reference a project coded as “ape” which we believe is an abbreviation for Apple Pie, the working title of both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Additionally, they reveal the identity of the Black Panther as T’Chanda. In Marvel Comics lore, T’Chanda was the Black Panther of Wakanda in World War II and the grandfather of T’Challa. And perhaps most interestingly, the file was created in August 2024, after the Russos boarded Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as co-directors.

    Given the nature of the Multiverse, in which the Fantastic Four is set in a retrofuturistic 1960s alternate universe, it is entirely feasible that the studio plans to introduce T’Chanda, potentially played by Idris or another actor of that impressive caliber, as the Black Panther of his own universe in Avengers: Doomsday and find a way to incorporate him and his descendants into the whatever plans they have beyond the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga.

  • New Reports Could Point Toward Marvel Studios Delaying ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    New Reports Could Point Toward Marvel Studios Delaying ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    With three films in theaters in six months,  Marvel Studios will look to continue to reestablish box office supremacy in 2025. The first film, Captain America: Brave New World is projected to have a very solid opening weekend with some estimates going as high as $100M+ when factoring in the potential President’s Day haul. Though Thunderbolts* might present as a bit of an unknown, fan response to the first trailer for the film was overwhelmingly positive, putting it on track for a strong opening as well. And in this or any reality, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with its other worldly cast, will almost certainly blow up the box office.

    Looking ahead into 2026, the picture remains cloudy with only two films set (Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4) and two other scheduled release dates still awaiting titles. As Marvel Studios’ Parliament continues to work behind the scenes on matching films to those dates, a new report has revealed two projects that look as though they’re destined for 2027 releases. Insider Daniel Richtman recently reported that Destin Daniel Cretton‘s long-developing sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the third installment in the Doctor Strange franchise are expected to begin production next year, putting them in like to fill the studio’s two unclaimed 2027 release dates. However, should those two films indeed be  intended for release in 2027, their presence may actually make those waters a bit murkier.

    As it stands, Marvel Studios has three theatrical dates earmarked for 2027 and two of them have always been presumed to be intended to be post-Multiverse Saga projects. Avengers: Secret Wars is currently slated to kick off 2027 on May 7th with additional films set to hit theaters on July 23rd and November 5th. However, both Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi have always been believed to be major players in the Multiverse Saga and while that plot has certainly evolved since the studio moved on from Jonathan Majors‘ Kang, it’s hard to believe the characters have been completely erased from the outline and that Marvel couldn’t use a couple more films between Spider-Man 4 and Avengers: Secret Wars to help set the stage for the final chapter of the saga. Additionally, as explained by Kevin Feige, the next saga will revolve heavily around the X-Men and while any Marvel character could easily slide in and out of those stories, leading off the new phase with two films starring non-mutant characters would be an odd decision, even for modern day Marvel Studios.

    If all the above points can be considered reasonable possibilities, an intriguing conclusion can be inferred from the report, should it indeed be accurate. If Shang-Chi 2 and Doctor Strange 3 are on track to hit theaters in 2027, Marvel Studios may be considering pushing the release date of Avengers: Secret Wars to November 5th, allowing the Shang-Chi and Strange sequels to provide some requisite exposition for the finale. As it stands, Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to begin principal photography in the spring of 2026 but that could easily be changed to accommodate a greater need for additional story telling. Considering that Stephen McFeely is reportedly still writing scripts for both Doomsday and Secret Wars, it’s not too difficult to believe he’s hit some narrative potholes that could be filled by Shang-Chi and Strange films.

    Of course, it’s easy to argue that those films aren’t written yet either but that may not be entirely accurate. Cretton has been working on the second Shang-Chi film for over three years and while he would certainly need to alter his original ideas, it could easily be production ready by next spring. Doctor Strange 3 is likely another story entirely given that there’s been no public acknowledgement of any momentum building behind that project; however, should Marvel Studios have its sights set on a July 2027 release for that film, there’s plenty of time to pair creatives together and build a script.

    Though bulilt on speculation with a foundation in unconfirmed reports, the movie is still worth contemplating, especially because it would likely make things easier for Marvel Studios on a couple fronts. On one hand, two more films in the Multiverse Saga would provide not only more narrative fabric through which to tell a complete story and get more heroes involved; on the other hand, it would allow Marvel to end the Multiverse Saga in 2027 and start fresh with the “Mutant Saga” in 2028, where three dates have already been set aside for untitled films (February 18th, May 5th and November 10th). Then again, Marvel Studios has seemed eager to accelerate the end of the Multiverse Saga, so the Feigester and crew may just choose to get it over with in May 2027 and move on.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Recasting a Major MCU Hero Ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Recasting a Major MCU Hero Ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Recasting key actors is hardly a novel idea at this point in the MCU. Edward Norton and Terrence Howard were rather unceremoniously removed from their respective roles as Bruce Banner and James Rhodes after just one outing each. More recently, Harrison Ford joined the MCU as Thaddeus Ross following the passing of William Hurt, who portrayed the character in five films. Multiple actors have also portrayed Cassie Lang, Billy Maximoff and even Thanos, among others. However, one beloved MCU character seemed off limits to a recast…until now.

    According to a report from Jeff “The In” Sneider, “Marvel is looking to recast its Black Panther hero T’Challa ahead of the two Avengers movies and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3.

    Following Chadwick Boseman‘s death, Marvel Studios weighed its options about how to move forward in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, ultimately deciding to work T’Challa’s death into the sequel rather than attempt to recast the role. Though it would seem problematic to recast the character now, Sneider ‘s report could be interpreted at least a couple of different ways.

    As the studio approaches the end of the Multiverse Saga, the most logical option for “Recasting” T’Challa would be the introduction of a multiversal Variant of the character. Certainly any attempts t resurrect the Sacred Timeline’s T’Challa would be incredibly controversial and, frankly, unnecessary. Presumably, as Avengers: Secret Wars draws near, more alternate universes, or at least more heroes and villains from the ones that have already been introduced, will come into play and a Variant T’Challa would be a great addition to any team of heroes taking on Doctor Doom.

    Of course, another option for the “recast” might involve the studio searching for an older actor to step into the role of T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While it’s unclear when Avengers: Doomsday will be set, if the studio does indeed have a three-film arc in store for the character, they may be looking to age the character up a touch.

    In either case, it would seem that Letitia Wright‘s Shuri, who took up the mantle of Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is headed for a reduced role despite delivering a fantastic performance in the sequel. That is, of course, unless the studio chooses a third option: introducing a multiversal Variant of T’Challa who is aligned with Doctor Doom and finds himself at odds with Shuri, T’Challa II and the rest of the Wakanda.

    With production on Avengers: Doomsday set to kick off this year, it’s likely fans will have some clarity on the reported recast of T’Challa relatively soon.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Locking In on the MCU’s Jean Grey

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Locking In on the MCU’s Jean Grey

    It’s not easy being Jean. Despite having an entire film dedicated to her in each of Fox’s X-Men in the original Fox trilogy and in the alternate timeline reboot that followed X-Men: Days of Future Past, it is resoundingly safe to say that we still haven’t gotten a solid live-action version of Jean Grey. An Omega-level telepath whose true upper limit to her power remains undefined, Grey was never given proper agency in either iteration and was reduced to a supporting character in both of Fox’s efforts to tell a classic comic book story in which she is the main character. Watch X-Men: The Last Stand and ask yourself, if as Logan kills Jean, if you feel worse for her or him.

    To be fair, the problem isn’t unique to the Fox films. Outside of Chris Claremont‘s time writing her, Jean hasn’t always been treated much better in the pages of Marvel Comics. The fact remains, however, that as one of the five original members of Charles Xavier’s X-Men, Jean Grey–codename Marvel Girl–has always been and should always remain an integral part of the team’s story and should be at the center of any efforts to tell it. And as Marvel Studios prepares to put its spin on the uncanny team of mutant heroes, a new report indicates that its version will not only include Jean but also that one name has risen to the top of a list to portray the MCU’s version.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Stranger Things and The Whale star Sadie Sink has emerged as the front runner to portray Jean Grey in the MCU.

    Though it may seem a touch early for the studio to be on the lookout for one of the stars of their X-Men reboot, Sneider provided some additional context about Sink’s potential involvement. Despite Marvel Studios’ X-Men film still being in the scripting stages and not expected to be released during the Multiverse Saga, Sneider’s sources believe that the studio is keen on casting the role of Jean Grey now to allow the character to appear in either or both of its next two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Allowing important characters to debut in other properties before taking center stage in their own is a tactic Marvel Studios has employed to some success in the past. Both Black Panther and Spider-Man debuted in Captain America: Civil War ahead of starring in their own projects. Making the rumor more believable is that both Doomsday and Secret Wars are being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo who directed Civil War and who have, in the past, expressed a desire to be involved with the MCU’s X-Men. It could all be a coincidence, of course, and being a frontrunner is much different than being cast; however, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see more mutants than just Jean–and more mutants than just the ones the studio plans to move forward with in the future–before the Multiverse Saga comes to a close.

    Source: Hot Mic Podcast