Marvel Studios has officially introduced the next generation of the X-Men.
During the studio’s massive D23 2026 presentation, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed the principal cast of the upcoming X-Men movie, confirming several long-rumored names while also delivering a few major surprises.
The new lineup will feature Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Ororo Munroe/Storm and Adam Driver as Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister.
The cast officially announced by Marvel Studios includes:
- Sadie Sink — Jean Grey
- Kit Connor — Scott Summers/Cyclops
- Christopher Abbott — Charles Xavier/Professor X
- Samara Weaving — Emma Frost
- Inde Navarrette — Rogue
- Maya Boyd — Ororo Munroe/Storm
- Adam Driver — Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister
The announcement confirms Sink and Connor as two of the central members of Marvel’s new mutant generation. Sink’s Jean Grey has already begun making her way into the larger MCU through Spider-Man: Brand New Day, while Connor will take over the role of Cyclops, the longtime field leader of the X-Men.
Abbott will become the MCU’s new Professor Charles Xavier, following the character’s previous live-action portrayals by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy.
Weaving joins the franchise as Emma Frost, one of the most complicated characters in X-Men history. Also known as the White Queen, Frost has operated as both an adversary and ally of the X-Men throughout Marvel Comics and eventually became one of the team’s most prominent members.
Navarrette will take on Rogue, the powerful mutant capable of absorbing the memories, abilities and powers of others through physical contact. Boyd, meanwhile, will portray Storm, the weather-controlling mutant who has long been one of the most recognizable and important members of the X-Men.
Perhaps the biggest announcement is Driver, who will portray Mister Sinister.
The longtime X-Men villain, whose real name is Nathaniel Essex, is a brilliant geneticist obsessed with mutant evolution and experimentation. Mister Sinister has repeatedly manipulated the lives and genetics of the X-Men in Marvel Comics, with Cyclops and Jean Grey playing particularly important roles in many of his stories.
Driver’s casting also finally brings Mister Sinister properly to the big screen after years of teases during Fox’s X-Men era that never resulted in a full live-action appearance.
The new X-Men will be directed by Jake Schreier, who previously directed Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*. The film represents a major step in Marvel’s plans for mutants following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga.
Marvel has spent the last several years gradually introducing mutants while simultaneously bringing back actors from Fox’s original X-Men movies. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer are among the legacy X-Men stars appearing in Avengers: Doomsday.
Those returning characters could help close the door on the previous generation of X-Men before Marvel Studios fully moves forward with its newly assembled team.
With Jean Grey, Cyclops, Professor X, Emma Frost, Rogue and Storm now confirmed, Marvel has revealed a significant portion of its core X-Men roster. However, several major characters, including Wolverine, Beast, Nightcrawler and Magneto, have yet to be announced for the reboot.
Marvel Studios’ X-Men is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2028.
