*Warning: This article contains a spoiler for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*
After Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems almost inevitable that mutants will soon be making their way into the MCU canon. Initially, the thought was that Wanda would reach a breaking point and break the multiverse somehow, bringing mutants in or unlocking the mutant gene in peoples’ DNA.
However, with the crushing ending of Multiverse of Madness and seeing Wanda sacrifice herself in the destruction of Wundagore Mountain, the options for how to introduce mutants is dwindling. Then again, we’ve only just seen Wanda unlock her full potential as the Scarlet Witch, so is she really gone?
Whatever the answer may be, it’s still exciting to think about all of the possibilities for the mutants entering the MCU and who could be playing them. There’s the required mutants like Professor X and Magneto that will inevitably return to the screen, but which other mutants will see the light of day this time around and which actors will be playing these iconic comic book roles?
Let’s start with the obvious casting of the two integral roles to the X-Men franchise; Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, AKA Professor X and Magneto, respectively.
Charles Xavier
For Charles Xavier we’ve come up with three choices: Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy and Michael Caine. Stewart and McAvoy have already played the role, and most recently we saw Stewart as an alternate universe Charles Xavier in Multiverse of Madness. So, that would leave us to believe he’d continue playing the role once mutants are introduced.
However, in the Loki Disney+ series, we’ve seen universe variants look completely different based on which ‘verse they’re from. With that being said, using a younger version of Professor X, like James McAvoy, could be a smart choice as well, seeing as we could watch him age with the role. As for Michael Caine, he was in the Dark Knight trilogy as Alfred, so who’s to say he wouldn’t be interested in another superhero role?
Magneto
Now, on to Magneto. Much like Charles Xavier, we’ve also seen two versions of him onscreen: Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender, both of which are on our list. It would be awesome to see either actor return to this iconic role.
However, if they don’t and/or the casting director decides to choose someone new, may we suggest Jason Isaacs? He would be a new face and a good middle ground age-wise between the two actors. Most know him as Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter franchise, but this could be a new long-term gig for the actor.
Storm
Another character we’ve seen translated to screen multiple times is Storm, but she’s such an iconic and powerful character that we want to see her back! This time though, we have a completely new set of casting choices. They include Vanessa Morgan, Meagan Tandy and Ajiona Alexus.
Morgan’s credits are few, but she’s a talented actress from what we’ve seen of her. Most recently she’s been starring in Riverdale as Toni Topaz, which isn’t a great proof of talent, but she’s one of the actors who shines.
Tandy has been in shows such as Teen Wolf and Batwoman, so she knows all about action and fight sequences. She’d be a great addition to the X-Men.
Lastly, we have 13 Reasons Why‘s Ajiona Alexus. Also starring in Empire as Young Cookie and Hulu’s Light as a Feather, Alexus has some credits to her name. She and Morgan are also on the younger side which would be interesting to see if we’re going for a fresher cast of the X-Men.
Dazzler
Finally we move on to some mutants we haven’t seen translated onto screen before. The first being Alison Blaire, otherwise known as Dazzler. Dazzler is an interesting character as she’s a pop icon and a superhero, using her light-generating powers to basically serve as her own light show when performing. She’s an intriguing and fun superhero when compared to some other heroes’ tragic backstories.
So, who should play this budding pop star? One idea is Abigail Cowen, the star of Fate: The Winx Saga. We’ve seen her as a blonde before and she’s posted a few singing videos on her Instagram profile, @abbeycowen.
Our second choice is both an actress and a singer, Sabrina Carpenter. Carpenter made waves at this year’s Met Gala in her gown and has been in both of Netflix’s Tall Girl films. Considering Carpenter’s budding music career, it might be fun to cast her as the bright Dazzler. Both are good choices, though.
Synch
Next up is another member of the X-Men who has never seen the silver screen, Synch. Everett Thomas is his real name and his powers are simple; he can sync up with other mutants to copy their mutation and use it as his own. He’s insanely powerful and is able to use others’ powers to his own advantage. So why haven’t we seen him on screen yet?! If Marvel does decide to bring this intriguing mutant to their universe, here are some casting ideas:
First up is Bryshere Y. Gray, who is most known for his work in Empire and The New Edition Story. He’s talented as both an actor and singer and could easily bring the finesse that’s needed for a character like Synch.
He’s not our only choice, though: Keith Powers would also do really well in this role. His facial structure is similar to the comic illustration and he’s also talented in the acting department, so both guys are really great choices.
Northstar and Aurora
Finally, we come to a set of twin characters: Northstar and Aurora, otherwise known as Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. The two lost their parents as infants and went to two separate homes, so they didn’t even know about each other until much later in their lives. As for their abilities, Northstar and Aurora are both able to fly as well as use photokinesis and super speed.
So, who should we cast as these pair of twins? The first idea is Alexandra Park (The Royals) and Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor). Both have shown great strength in acting and they look similar enough that they could pull off being twins.
My personal favorite casting idea though, would have to be Mackenzie Foy and Finn Wolfhard. If we start at the beginning of their story they’d be in their late teens or young adulthood, which puts Foy and Wolfhard at the perfect age. We know Foy from movies like Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 and The Conjuring and, of course, Wolfhard is well-known for his portrayal of Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things. They’re extremely talented for their ages and it would be incredible to see what they do with the source material.
There are so many mutants to choose from when the time comes for Marvel to bring them into the Multiverse, but for now all we can do is speculate and hope for our favorites to be chosen.