X-Men Reboot's First Lineup Reportedly the Classic 1963 Team

A new scoop claims the X-Men reboot's first lineup will be the classic team straight off the X-Men number one cover from 1963: Iceman, Angel, Beast, Jean Grey and Cyclops. That is a notable shift from what we had been hearing, since the casting rumors up to this point kept circling the same handful of characters over and over without ever touching two of the names now said to be on the team.

The Scoop on X-Men's Classic 1963 Lineup

This comes from an anonymous Twitter insider who has been in the scoop game for about two years and has built a track record, which is why I am comfortable reporting on what he is hearing.

From what he is hearing, the X-Men team's first lineup in the reboot will be the actual classic lineup from that 1963 cover: Iceman, Angel, Beast, Jean Grey and Cyclops. That is the core five, and it lines up with the idea of the studio paying homage to where the team started before expanding the roster later.

Rogue Corrected to Student, Not Yet an X-Man

He had originally included Rogue on that team as well, but he later walked that back, saying he misinterpreted that detail from his source. His updated word is that Rogue will still be a student at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters and will not be on the X-Men team just yet.

Other Mutants Filling Out Xavier's School

He added that other mutants will appear as the Xavier School begins to take shape, naming Magneto, the already confirmed Emma Frost, Storm and Professor X. These would be part of the wider world of the school rather than the core team announced in this scoop.

My Take on Starting With the Original Five

Honestly, there have been so many lineups of the X-Men over the years that I do not think any version is going to make everybody happy. If there is a favorite mutant of yours not named on this list, there is plenty of time in the next decade or two for Marvel Studios to add them to the team, or at some point down the line we could even get a blue and gold split like there was in the 90s, with two full X-Men teams once there are enough characters on the roster.

For what it is worth, I actually like the idea of starting with the original lineup as it was in the comics and then expanding from there. It feels like classic Marvel Studios behavior, paying homage to where it all began before moving into more modern storytelling.

The Casting Silence Around Iceman and Angel

What I find more interesting about this scoop is something I raised before it even broke: we keep hearing the same characters attached to actor names, but never Iceman or Angel specifically. Jean Grey has already been tied to Sadie Sink, Kit Connor is said to be Cyclops, Emma Frost is Samara Weaving, and we have heard names tied to Rogue. Actor Charles Melton reportedly just dropped out of playing Beast, and we have scooped here, from multiple sources now, that Black Panther 3 is likely where Storm gets introduced, with Ryan Coogler having a hand in casting her.

But not a single name has surfaced tied to Iceman or Angel specifically. If those two are meant to be core members of the first lineup, I find it very curious that no scooper has touched on either character at all.

Weighing the Scooper Hierarchy and Casting Track Record

There is an entire hierarchy of trust in the Marvel scoop world. Hollywood Reporter and Deadline sit at the top, with industry insiders like Daniel RPK and Jeff Sneider right behind them.

For those editorial insiders, including Charles Murphy at Murphy's Multiverse alongside Daniel RPK and Jeff Sneider, casting has always been their bread and butter going back to Fantastic Four, and it has been accurate for years, even for actors who were rumored but did not end up landing the role. I have a sneaking suspicion that when it comes to plot scoops, some of these insiders are just getting early access to promos, since a lot of that material ends up matching the first trailers, but that is a topic for another time.

Casting should be the easiest thing for these insiders to get right, since actors who are simply auditioning or in talks are talking to a lot of people, unlike scripts or set details that require direct access. So to have heard nothing at all tied to Angel or Iceman makes me wonder if there is something more going on, or if Marvel Studios simply was not able to lock those two actors down early. My suspicion is that when names do surface for those roles, they will be relatively fresh faces who are not represented by the top agencies, which is exactly why they have stayed off the radar while actors represented by top agents, like Kit Connor and Samara Weaving, became scoops almost as soon as contracts were signed.

What D23 Could Confirm This Weekend

All of this comes just about 48 hours ahead of Friday night's presentation from Marvel Studios at D23, where we may get at least part of the X-Men cast revealed. If Angel or Iceman show up on stage Friday night, that would tell us there is truth to this scoop and that they are part of the original team.

The Storm and Black Panther 3 Timeline Problem

I also want to flag a wrinkle with Storm. Last week's scoop said she would debut in Black Panther 3, but that film does not come out until the end of 2028. It is looking increasingly likely that Ghost Rider will take the summer slot, and that the X-Men reboot will actually be the first Marvel movie out after Avengers Secret Wars in May. So if Storm is in the X-Men film, she would not be debuting in Black Panther 3 at all.

There are a few ways this could still work. Ryan Coogler could cast her for Black Panther 3 to give her a full origin story there, or she could show up for a cameo or a scene or two in the X-Men film instead. It also just feels possible that the studio holds off on introducing her properly until after Black Panther 3, meaning we would not see her in this first X-Men outing at all.

Hoping to Avoid a Third Dark Phoenix Saga

Going back to the lineup itself, I do like the idea of the studio focusing on the original five from the comics and then expanding from there. There are plenty of fan favorite characters like Storm, Colossus, Wolverine and Nightcrawler that the list could grow to include, but there is plenty of time to bring those characters in later or simply have them start as young students at Xavier's Institute while the core five carry the first team.

I have joked about this a million times, but I am genuinely starting to wonder if there is truth to it: surely Marvel Studios knows they do not need to attempt the Dark Phoenix Saga for a third time. If you listen to quotes from director Jake Schreier or from Kevin Feige, they talk about the stories that have not been done yet versus the ones that have, and how they would put their own spin on the latter. That makes me want to rub my eyes a little, honestly, because we do not need Dark Phoenix again. Jean Grey can still get the Phoenix force worked into another story, but I would rather see the studio take another crack at Apocalypse first and redeem that one before anyone goes near Dark Phoenix again.

Which characters are you hoping get added to this lineup, and are you fine with starting from the classic five?