MCU X-Men casting leak confirms entirely new set of faces

As we inch closer to Avengers: DOOMSDAY, and the appearance of Doctor Doom, Marvel is preparing to usher in a new age of the X-Men.

We’ve heard directly from Kevin Feige that the events of Avengers: Secret Wars will act as a kind of reset for the MCU, and part of that will be bringing in the X-Men and the wealth of stories they have behind them.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the X-Men become the leading hero team in the next saga of Marvel films, and the studio will be looking for the very best acting talent to step in and play these iconic roles.

According to Variety, Marvel Studios is “thrilled” with the reception for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and while the film is performing well, there’s a change coming to producing films going forward.

It’s noted that ever-expanding budgets are holding back profits as the margins are significantly smaller.

With this in mind, after the “fine-tuning” of the X-Men script is finished, the casting directors will be looking for burgeoning talent, rather than choosing A-list actors and celebrities.

This will not only “keep the cost down” but it will allow for Marvel to source younger, up and coming, actors to play the students of Xavier Academy.

Of course, aside from Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson the MCU started with smaller actors, or those finding their feet, so these franchises acting as a springboard seems fitting.

Plus, grabbing younger actors means they can stick around in the roles for a lot longer, building up a proper X-Men presence, with lots of stories and spin-offs.

And Disney could do with spending a bit less on these productions, especially as cinema attendance keeps dropping for blockbuster films, and they’ll now have to compete with James Gunn’s DCU.