X-men Reboot Eyes Cailee Spaeny And Drew Starkey For Key Marvel Roles, Professor X Down To Two Actors

20th Century Studios

It's a day ending in Y, so that must mean we're on Marvel rumor patrol once again. With "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" finally here and "Avengers: Doomsday" now on the horizon, all eyes remain fixed on whatever Kevin Feige and his crew have in store for us next. By all accounts, we're about to enter the age of mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first indication of this was the recent casting news of Samara Weaving as Emma Frost in the upcoming "X-Men" reboot. Now, the dam may well be breaking as every young and talented star around jockeys for a superhero role.

The latest round of speculation has to do with a quartet of fan-favorite "X-Men" characters. In a recent newsletter, industry insider Jeff Sneider claims to have the scoop on who's currently up for the roles of Beast, Rogue, Cyclops, and Professor Charles Xavier. "May December" breakout Charles Melton is reportedly "wrapping up a deal" to be cast as Beast. Meanwhile, Melton's "Beef" Season 2 co-star and "Alien: Romulus" lead Cailee Spaeny is nearing the finish line to play Rogue. As for Cyclops? Supposedly, another up-and-comer in Drew Starkey (seen in "Queer," "The Terminal List," and most recently Apple TV's "Lucky") is described as the "favorite" to take over for James Marsden.

Much of this lines up with what /Film has heard about the "X-Men" reboot, but Sneider saves the biggest (potential) bombshell for last. Apparently, the highly-regarded role of Professor X is down to two competing actors: Bill Skarsgård of "It" fame, and Tom Pelphrey (best known for "Ozark," "Mank," and, ironically enough, Marvel's "Iron Fist"). If true, Marvel ain't messing around, folks.

Marvel Studios

Warning: The following contains major spoilers for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."

Marvel may be taking a trip down memory lane with the impending arrival of "Avengers: Doomsday" and its multiverse of characters shuttled over from the 20th Century Fox "X-Men" universe, but make no mistake: The future of the MCU is firmly in the hands of a younger generation of actors. We may not have the clearest idea yet of how the studio intends to reset the board and make way for a new reboot (although it's fairly apparent that the events of "Avengers: Secret Wars" will have a lot to do with it). But that's not stopping Kevin Feige from planning ahead and getting his ducks in a row for where this saga takes us next.

This next, mutant-heavy phase of the MCU is shaping up to be younger, flashier, and filled with stars on the rise — in other words, the perfect approach to fleshing out a new generation of X-Men. The casting of Samara Weaving is a total coup for a franchise that appeared to be on less-than-solid ground only a few months back, while nobody could possibly have a bad word to say about getting "Stranger Things" actor Sadie Sink as Jean Grey in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and beyond. Drew Starkey, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny all come from a similar pool of rising talent who have spent their early acting careers building out an impressive series of résumés.

If the reports prove accurate, seeing them all come together in a future movie under the tutelage of Professor X (whoever ends up playing him) should be a blast.