After the MCU’s Newest X-Men Casting Rumor, I Think I’ve Figured the Mutant Saga Out

After Doomsday and Secret Wars, it’s finally time for the X-Men. Marvel regained their mutant rights back in 2019, when Disney acquired Fox, and the studio has been slowly setting up its Mutant Saga. We’ve had a spate of returning Fox characters courtesy of the multiverse (Avengers: Doomsday features an entire team of Fox X-Men), and mutants have been name-dropped in the main timeline too. There are consistent (and believable) rumors that Sadie Sink is playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, making her the MCU’s first official X-Man.

The last few weeks have seen a spate of rumors about potential casting choices. Adam Driver is reportedly in talks for Magneto (although new rumors now suggest for Mr. Sinister instead), Bill Skarsgård is rumored as a possible Professor X, and – more surprisingly – Margot Robbie is named as a possible Emma Frost. Assuming these swirling rumors are all credible, or at least indicate conversations that have actually taken place, I think I’ve figured out how the Mutant Saga will work.

Yes, We’re Definitely Heading for Young X-Men

Let’s start with the obvious: It’s pretty clear we’re dealing with a much younger X-Men team. Adam Driver is 42, while Bill Skarsgård is 35; Margot Robbie is Skarsgård’s contemporary, aged 36. Xavier and Magneto are traditionally the “older statesmen” of the X-Men, leaders by virtue of their experience, the time they’ve spent mastering their powers, and – of course – their competing visions for the mutant race. Taking this into account, we can safely say the main X-Men will be teenagers or, at the oldest, in their early 20s. Sadie Sink is 24 years old, so it all tracks.

This fits perfectly with Kevin Feige’s initial comments about the X-Men, back when Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier was first announced for the mutant movie. “We had a great experience with him on Thunderbolts*,” Feige said, explaining the choice. “He also has his pulse on, shall we say, a younger demographic… X-Men, as it was in the comics, will be a very youth-oriented, focused and cast movie.” All the signs suggest we’re getting something similar to the original X-Men, a group of young mutants who enrolled at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, where they were taught how to master their powers.

Marvel’s Rumored Emma Frost Casting Totally Changes Everything

The Emma Frost rumor, however, has the potential to change everything. Assuming these reports are accurate, note that Marvel is considering casting Emma Frost as Charles Xavier’s contemporary. In the comics, Emma Frost is younger than Professor X – even becoming Cyclops’ lover for a while – but she still became his rival, for a time. In fact, Emma established her own version of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, dubbing her students the Hellions and clashing repeatedly with the New Mutants team.

It’s easy to imagine a scenario where Marvel reinvented Professor X and Emma Frost as yin and yang; two powerful psychics, each dedicated to training a new generation of mutants, competing with one another. Conceptually, the idea of rival young mutant groups became the basis for X-Men: Evolution, a fantastic four-season animated series that (oddly) made Mystique the X-Men’s main rival. The competition between two young superhuman teams became the basis for all the soap-opera style bickering X-Men comics have always been famous for. And Emma Frost is naturally a better fit for the rival than Mystique.

Where Does Magneto Fit Into the X-Men Relaunch?

But this naturally raises a question: Where would Magneto fit into this dynamic? Let’s stick with the assumption initial casting rumors are, if not accurate, at least an indication of the conversations taking place. Adam Driver is well known for his franchise work, playing Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy – a villain portrayed as much more conflicted than Darth Vader, ultimately leading to a redemption arc. He’s perfect for playing a more sympathetic Magneto, although the age likely means we’ve abandoned the character’s history as a Holocaust survivor. It’s possible Marvel will simply switch this for another historic genocide, although I’d personally much prefer to retain Magneto’s Jewish identity.

X-Men: Evolution presented Magneto as a powerful figure in the mutant community, a dark force whose shadow loomed over both teams of young mutants. In the end, he was shown as a mutant terrorist who sought to radicalize others, recruiting them to his cause. The MCU may well choose a similar approach, with a charismatic and sympathetic Magneto tempting even members of the X-Men into siding with him. That dynamic worked so well in X-Men: Evolution, and it’s easy to see how it could be adapted to become even more culturally relevant in an age of digital radicalization.

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