Marvel Studios has reportedly selected Heartstopper star Kit Connor as its new Cyclops for the upcoming X-Men reboot.
According to Deadline, Connor is the studio’s choice to portray Scott Summers, the optic-blast-wielding mutant who traditionally serves as the X-Men’s field leader.
Marvel Studios and representatives for Connor have not commented on the report. However, sources claim that director Jake Schreier and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige spent months meeting with actors before narrowing the search to a small group of finalists.
Kit Connor as Nick Nelson in Heartstopper – Netflix
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Those candidates reportedly tested for the role shortly after the Fourth of July. Following several weeks of deliberations, Marvel settled on Connor last week.
The actor is best known for playing Nick Nelson in Netflix’s Heartstopper. He also portrayed a young Elton John in Rocketman and provided the voice of Brightbill in The Wild Robot. More recently, Connor appeared in Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s war film Warfare.
He is also expected to lead A24’s upcoming adaptation of the popular video game Elden Ring, which will reunite him with Garland.
Marvel’s X-Men Lineup Takes Shape
The Cyclops report arrives only days after Deadline claimed that Samara Weaving had been selected to play Emma Frost. As with Kit Connor, neither Marvel nor Weaving has officially confirmed her involvement.
Samara Weaving as Laura Crane in Scream VI – Paramount;Emma Frost on the cover of a comic book – Marvel Comics
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Schreier and Marvel executives reportedly conducted an extensive search for Frost before choosing the Ready or Not star. Weaving and Connor both emerged from outside the groups of actors most frequently linked to their respective roles by online rumors. Several social media accounts had claimed that Cooper Hoffman and Drew Starkey were the frontrunners to play Cyclops.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day introduced Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, giving Marvel Studios its first major member of the rebooted X-Men. Director Destin Daniel Cretton recently clarified that the filmmakers asked to use Jean because she suited Spider-Man’s story, rather than receiving a mandate from Feige to include her.
Nevertheless, the appearance positioned Jean for a potentially important role in Schreier’s film. Her comic-book relationships with Cyclops and Emma Frost could now become central to the reboot.
Will Marvel Restore Cyclops as the X-Men’s Leader?
Cyclops made his comic-book debut alongside Marvel’s original X-Men team in 1963. His powerful optic blasts require him to wear a specialized ruby-quartz visor, while his discipline and tactical abilities have traditionally made him one of the group’s most important leaders. However, many fans believe that the previous films diminished his leadership role within the X-Men.
James Marsden portrayed Cyclops in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy and later returned briefly in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Tye Sheridan played a younger version of Scott in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.
James Marsden as Cyclops in the Avengers: Doomsday X-Men trailer – YouTube @marvel
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Marsden will reprise the role once again in Avengers: Doomsday, alongside several other actors from Fox’s mutant franchise. The crossover may provide a final appearance for the previous X-Men before Marvel Studios introduces its younger cast.
Marvel does appear to be shifting younger. Connor is 22 years old, four years younger than Marsden was when he first put on the visor. Similarly, Sadie Sink is 24, while Samara Weaving is 34. That age difference could complicate any attempt to portray one of the comics’ most famous love triangles. However, it also suggests that Marvel wants a cast capable of playing the mutant team for many years.
So far, there has been no indication of the reboot’s plot. Marvel has also not announced a release date or complete cast. However, with Jean Grey already introduced and Connor and Weaving reportedly selected for major roles, the MCU’s new X-Men team is quickly beginning to take shape.
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