Marvel Studios appears eager to put a fresh spin on the X-Men franchise with its upcoming reboot, and Magneto has been sidelined to focus on Mister Sinister. The Master of Magnetism was front and centre in every 20th Century Fox movie featuring the mutant team, so that's no bad thing.
It's not the only big change. Wolverine, who had a significant presence throughout the franchise, seemingly won't factor into this first chapter, allowing mutants like Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Angel to shine.
There have been rumours for a while that Mystique might factor into X-Men. However, her prominent role throughout the original and prequel movies has led to many fans assuming Raven Darkhölme will be similarly sidelined for the time being.
Well, unverified rumours on social media claim that Predator: Badlands star Elle Fanning is being eyed to play the MCU's Mystique. While she appears to be the frontrunner, Hunter Schafer (Blade Runner 2099) and Melissa Barrera (Scream) may also be in contention.
We'd suggest taking these claims with a pinch of salt for now, though several X-Men casting announcements were similarly revealed on social media before the official announcement. There's much more to Mystique than we've previously seen on screen, so filmmaker Jake Schreier could still have a fresh approach in mind to the character.
In the comics, Mystique is a shape-shifting mutant and a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. First appearing in 1978's Ms. Marvel #16, she has spent decades using her ability to assume anyone's appearance to infiltrate organisations and manipulate events.
Mystique is the adoptive mother of Rogue and has a complicated relationship with Destiny. Though often portrayed as a villain, her shifting alliances and morally ambiguous agenda have occasionally led to her working alongside the X-Men.
"The X-Men are far more than just Wolverine, far more than the original team," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige previously said. "Fundamentally, it's a universe, a multi-stage saga. Much of that is what we're working towards."
"We’re constantly changing, constantly evolving, but having some guidance helps us act more purposefully, especially with X-Men—it’s already had 10 movies, some very, very good, some I think haven’t lived up to expectations—how do we plan the 'mutant saga' in a very grand way?"
"That being said, we have many more characters to explore in the future," he added. "The schedule is already booked until 2042, especially the X-Men."
Directed by Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*), the untitled X-Men movie stars Kit Connor (Heartstopper) as Scott Summers, Sadie Sink (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) as Jean Grey, Inde Navarrette (Obsession) as Rogue, Asa Germann (Gen V) as Angel, Maya Boyd (& Juliet) as Storm, and Christopher Abbott (Catch-22) as Professor Charles Xavier.
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) also stars as Emma Frost, alongside Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), who plays Nathaniel Milbury, an alias of Mister Sinister in the comics. There are also rumours that Marvel Studios will introduce Apocalypse as the next Saga's big bad.
X-Men will be released exclusively in theaters May 5, 2028.