The news broke yesterday that A Quiet Place and Hamnet star Noah Jupe has joined the cast of Avengers: Secret Wars in a mystery role. Shooting begins later this year, so the Russo Brothers are now deep into pre-production and busy assembling the movie's cast.
Speculation about Jupe's role has run wild (some fans believe he could be playing the Beyonder), but the mystery may have already been solved. Multiple online scoopers claim that the actor is playing an older Franklin Richards, the son of the Fantastic Four's Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman.
Jupe is 21, so that's a big jump in age for the powerful young mutant. However, it puts Franklin in the same ballpark as the X-Men reboot's cast, potentially opening the door to him being a surprise addition to the team in Jake Schreier's reboot.
As a reminder, it's previously been rumoured that Sue Storm is pregnant in Avengers: Doomsday. Then, when Battleworld is created, she'll become Doctor Doom's wife, with Franklin and Valeria portrayed as "their" children.
Internet sleuths have also been on the case, noting that Jupe has recently logged multiple viewings of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on his Letterboxd account.
Much is also being said about the physical similarities between Jupe and Reed Richards actor Pedro Pascal. With that in mind, it certainly looks like he could portray Franklin, a mutant with the ability to reshape and create entire realities (which will come in handy when the Multiverse needs to be recreated after the events of Avengers: Secret Wars).
Do you think Jupe would be a good fit for the MCU's Franklin? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
The confirmed (or semi-confirmed, at least) cast of Avengers: Secret Wars includes Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Paul Bettany (The Vision), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter).
Also appearing are Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Sadie Sink (Jean Grey). The Thunderbolts* cast is also expected to return.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to refine the story, alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.