Adam Driver Magneto Rumor Opens the Floodgates on MCU X-Men Casting, With Professor X Contenders Emerging

The X-Men casting rumors opened up after reports that Adam Driver may indeed have been cast as Magneto for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Within 48 hours, multiple names were tied to the Professor X role, along with word on which characters Marvel Studios was looking to cast immediately.

These reports came from a range of sources, so I went around the industry to collect every X-Men casting report from those two days: where each one came from and what it said. Later in this piece I also explain which sources I would actually trust before getting attached to any name.

Adam Driver's reported Magneto casting started the X-Men rumor wave

It began when a Twitter scooper broke the news that Adam Driver had been cast as the villain in the upcoming X-Men reboot. That was followed by a different Twitter scooper, Apocalyptic Horseman, who indicated that he could corroborate it, and said Driver had actually been cast as Magneto.

The following morning, a ton of rumors arrived. The first I want to look at concerned Professor X, which I think is a great place to start.

Bill Skarsgård and Patrick Wilson were both linked to Professor X

Also coming from MyTimeToShineHello was the claim that Bill Skarsgård was being eyed for Professor X. A second outlet reported a different name, saying Patrick Wilson was the one being considered for the role.

If Adam Driver is truly Magneto, whoever is cast as Professor X not only needs to work in that role, but needs to work in a pretty nuanced way with Magneto. With Patrick Wilson and Adam Driver, I could see it. To be totally honest, I don't love Patrick Wilson, and I also don't love Bill Skarsgård for Professor X. That may be because, for me, just as Hugh Jackman as Wolverine has been a constant, Professor X is Sir Patrick Stewart. I will admit I think some of us are going to have a hard time as we move on to this new casting.

There is one important difference between the two names. I was a little surprised to hear Bill Skarsgård, because he was only 35 at the time. We know they were casting the X-Men much younger, but when you think of the Professor, even early on, you think of a pretty significant age gap between him and the students at his school. Patrick Wilson, at 53, was maybe a little closer to the age I would have expected. It doesn't help that Adam Driver was 42, right in the middle of the two. I said I would keep an open mind, but at that point I hoped some other names would come to the forefront.

Storm, Cyclops and Rogue were reportedly still being cast

Apocalyptic Horseman also added that Storm was in the process of being cast alongside Cyclops, Rogue and others, and that no one had been chosen yet.

We did know for certain that Marvel was at least talking to actors. The actress from Obsession admitted that she met with Jake Schreier for Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot. Everyone immediately pinned her for Rogue, but either way, her meeting confirmed that the studio was in the middle of casting these characters.

X-Men casting will probably play out like the Fantastic Four did

If some of these rumors are true, the names are going to come from a lot of different places. I think this will probably work exactly like the Fantastic Four casting did. For each role we heard a handful of names, two or three, and one of them would stay around. There were even rumors about Adam Driver turning down Reed Richards. After a month or two, the other names fell away, and there was a solid name for each role months before Marvel Studios actually announced them.

So while all these Twitter scoopers rushing to put names out is super exciting, what it really means is the wheels are turning. Rather than focusing on one name and whether you like that actor, keep in mind these scripts get passed around. Marvel will talk to a lot of actors, and we will probably see some names we get excited about who ultimately pass on the role.

Across Hollywood there is a very deep and wide chasm between those who think superhero cinema is okay and those who want nothing to do with it. I'm sure there are at least some actors Marvel is interested in who haven't decided which side they stand on, and who might say yes to the X-Men before deciding it isn't what they want for their career. That is something Marvel Studios has been facing for a while. How the Marvel machine works has also become well known, not just in the industry but among fans. Some actors simply don't want to sign five or even seven picture deals and be locked into the same franchise for over a decade.

Jeff Sneider's track record makes him the source I would wait for

Some names in the industry, especially Jeff Sneider, have a proven, almost airtight track record over the last two years. I'm not referring to his op eds, his opinions or vague forecasting about what's coming. He is pretty clear and makes a distinction between that and the scoops he drops.

This is the person who nailed Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom over two years ago, months before Marvel confirmed it. He also had Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, and in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, before that happened.

So my advice is to be excited as you hear these names, but don't worry too much if it isn't one you like, because nobody knows who will pass and who will end up in the role. I would wait until the general consensus lands on two or three names, then one name that stays around, or until we hear it from trusted sources like Jeff Sneider. Even better are The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, which sometimes reference Daniel RPK and Jeff Sneider as their sources anyway.

These X-Men castings carry enormous stakes across the industry

These castings are going to be the biggest thing going on in the industry. All eyes are on the X-Men reboot, and I'm not just talking about the fandom; I mean everyone in the industry. There isn't going to be a single agency that won't try to get at least one actor, if not more, into the Marvel franchise. They try every time, and here is a new team with maybe the biggest number of castings Marvel will have for a marquee movie, with that many co leads at the same time.

I hope the X-Men can redeem the Pedro Pascal Reed Richards casting

My huge hope is that the X-Men casting can basically redeem the Pedro Pascal casting for Reed Richards. I'm not throwing in the towel totally on Pascal. He has plenty of movies and opportunities to improve his Reed. But after we were given a perfect Reed in John Krasinski, who felt right off the page as I read him growing up, it was super hard to watch Pedro Pascal struggle to nail what I think is the certain confidence that should be the hallmark of Reed Richards.

Yes, there have been points of introspection and doubt in his storyline and arc, but most of the time when you think about Reed, he basically solves everything, and I just didn't see that from Pedro Pascal. Hopefully the scripts will find a way to write the character so he can connect and we get the actual Reed Richards we need.

Going into casting the X-Men, I hope they really nail it, with the right actors and the type of synergy we've seen in magic moments like Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor X. Those actors "are literally perfect for the role." Marvel Studios definitely has its work cut out, "because this is so important."

Who would you cast on the very first X-Men team, and who should play Professor X opposite Adam Driver if he is truly Magneto?