Marvel's X-Men Cast Is Official: Sadie Sink, Kit Connor and Adam Driver Lead the Roster

Marvel Studios has officially named the first cast of its X-Men film, led by Sadie Sink as Jean Grey. Marvel president Kevin Feige revealed the lineup at the D23 fan event, and the film is set to open exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2028.

Sink already introduced the character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Kit Connor plays Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, and Christopher Abbott plays Professor Charles Xavier. Samara Weaving is Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette is Rogue and Maya Boyd is Storm.

Adam Driver joins as Nathaniel Milbury, described by Marvel as a sinister figure. Driver was not at the event and appeared in a surprise video message filmed at Pinewood Studios. Empire reports that the role is Mister Sinister.

The film is directed by Jake Schreier, who previously made Thunderbolts, and is still untitled. It arrives after Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Feige said more X-Men casting announcements are on the way, though Marvel has not said when.

Where and When the Cast Was Revealed

The lineup was unveiled during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23 in Anaheim, California, on August 14, 2026, according to NME and Getty Images captions carried by Gulf News. The photos from the event show Boyd, Navarrette, Weaving, Abbott, Connor, Schreier, Sink and Feige on stage together. India TV News reports that Schreier first appeared with Sink before the pair welcomed the rest of the ensemble.

Empire noted that Marvel had kept quiet about X-Men at Comic-Con, and that the confirmation of Sink as Jean Grey opened the door to more mutant casting news at D23. The Associated Press reported that Weaving and Connor had been previously announced, while Sink’s role became known through her appearance in this summer’s Marvel release.

Who Is Playing Whom

NME identifies Sink from Stranger Things and Connor from Heartstopper, and the Associated Press describes Connor as an openly LGBTQ+ actor who will play the team leader Cyclops. Navarrette is identified by Consequence as the star of Obsession, and the Associated Press describes Boyd as a Broadway performer. Looper’s guide to the cast adds that one of the performers is making a film debut.

Abbott takes over the role of the professor that was previously occupied by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy, according to 3DVF. Weaving joins as Emma Frost, and Driver’s role as Nathaniel Milbury is described by Gulf News as the human identity of the mutant geneticist and supervillain Mister Sinister. Driver’s appearance was a video cameo that teased the villain, according to 3DVF.

A New Chapter for Marvel’s Mutants

NME describes the project as the first standalone X-Men film in the MCU, and 3DVF calls it the first dedicated mutant film since Disney acquired Fox in 2019. Looper notes that veterans of the earlier X-Men franchise are set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, so audiences will see both generations of mutants in the lead-up to the new film. Variety, via Gulf News, lists the full cast and confirms Schreier as director.

Schreier directed Thunderbolts*, which was released in 2025, according to the Associated Press and ABC News. Express Tribune reports that he is set to bring the new project to the big screen as the franchise’s mutants join the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Malay Mail describes the film as the MCU’s first full-scale introduction of the X-Men.

The full confirmed roster, as listed by Iron Studios and Gulf News, is Sink as Jean Grey, Connor as Scott Summers or Cyclops, Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Weaving as Emma Frost, Navarrette as Rogue, Boyd as Storm and Driver as Nathaniel Milbury, also known as Mister Sinister. Hypebeast calls the group a next-generation ensemble, and Variety, as relayed by Gulf News, reports the same lineup.

What Is Still Unknown

The film remains untitled, and Marvel has not shared a synopsis. Other mutant roles, including any additional members of the team, have yet to be announced, and Feige said more casting news is coming. Hypebeast describes the announcement as the introduction of a next-generation ensemble, but Marvel has not said which comic storylines the film will draw from.

For now, the confirmed details are the main cast, the director and the May 5, 2028 release date, and Marvel has said additional casting news is still to come.