Kit Connor Reportedly Cast as Cyclops in Marvel's X-Men Reboot, Jensen Ackles Rumored for Magneto

Kit Connor has reportedly been cast as Cyclops in Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot, according to a Deadline exclusive. On top of that news, there is also a fresh rumor that Jensen Ackles from The Boys could be stepping in as Magneto, and I have to say, I love it.

Kit Connor Is Reportedly Marvel's Choice for Cyclops

The Deadline article is titled "X-Men: Kit Connor Eyed For Cyclops Role In Upcoming Marvel Studios Pic," and from the way it is written, it sounds like it is pretty much a done deal. After the earlier news that Samara Weaving was in line for the Emma Frost role, which also came from Deadline, it now looks like Marvel Studios has found its Scott Summers. Sources tell Deadline that Kit Connor is the choice for the mutant Cyclops.

Similar to the Weaving situation, director Jake Schreier and Marvel president Kevin Feige reportedly met with a number of candidates, and sources say the studio ultimately landed on Connor last week, making him the latest actor to don the Cyclops visor. Marvel and reps for Connor could not be reached for comment on the casting, so this has not been confirmed by the studio itself.

While James Bond has had a lot of attention this summer, the most active casting process has apparently been who will play the new team of mutants. Following meetings and auditions over the last couple of months, sources say a small group of actors tested after the July 4th holiday.

Cyclops' Comic History and the Actors Who Played Him Before

Scott Summers has been one of the cornerstones of the X-Men comics, first appearing in 1963's X-Men from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character has always been seen as the captain of the team of mutants, best known for the powerful beams of energy emitted from his eyes that he controls through a visor and various sunglasses. He has previously been played by James Marsden and Tye Sheridan.

I Have Not Actually Seen Anything Kit Connor Has Done

I will be honest, I have not seen anything that Kit Connor has done, so I cannot comment on his acting chops. I do know he is in a show called Heartstopper, and he plays it with the actor who plays Billy, or Wiccan, in Agatha All Along, who is the son of the Scarlet Witch, so he clearly already has a Marvel connection in there.

I do like the Samara Weaving casting for Emma Frost, I think that one is really good. As for Connor, I am not closing my mind off to him playing Cyclops. I am definitely going to give him a chance and see how he looks standing next to Sadie Sink before I decide how I feel about it.

Jensen Ackles Is Rumored for Magneto, and I Love It

It was originally reported that Adam Driver might be playing Magneto, but that got a little misconstrued. It seems like he is involved in this project, though it is not officially confirmed, but it now looks like he might actually be playing Mr. Sinister instead, which I think would be a much better role for him. I think he could have done a great Magneto too, but that is not where the rumor currently points.

The rumor now is saying that Jensen Ackles from The Boys could be Magneto, and I have to say I love that. I think he is phenomenal, and I think he would make a great Magneto. He might be a little young for the part, but it seems like Marvel is going for a younger cast overall, if you are not counting the X-Men films in between. They are obviously younger than Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier and Sir Ian McKellen's Magneto, but probably around the same age as Michael Fassbender was.

"I think Jensen Ackles has the aura to play Magneto. I really do."

The Rest of the Reported X-Men Roster

An actress is reportedly the top choice to play Rogue for Marvel Studios and director Jake Schreier. Bill Skarsgard as Professor X seems to be the top runner right now, though there are still a few other people in line for that role. Adam Driver playing Mr. Sinister is what the current report says, rather than Magneto.

An actress who a lot of people previously thought might play Rogue is now still being eyed to play Mystique instead, which could be really cool. Charles Melton has, according to some insiders, been cast as Beast so far. And with spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day already out there, Sadie Sink is confirmed as Jean Grey, so it would be Sadie Sink standing right next to Kit Connor's Cyclops.

When Will Marvel Officially Reveal the X-Men Cast?

I think Marvel probably has a good majority of the new X-Men cast locked in at this point. I think they might be looking at D23 to reveal the cast, though we will have to wait and see. It is very possible they will not do an official reveal until next year, saving it for the next San Diego Comic-Con instead, because they cannot give too much away for Secret Wars.

Kevin Feige literally said the release order would be Spider-Man, Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and then the X-Men right after. I believe he was speaking literally, but we will have to wait and see. D23 could still be where Marvel announces the movie itself, a release date, and maybe some of the cast. I will keep my eyes and ears open, and if I hear anything, I will be sure to do an update.

What Fans on My Discord Think of the Casting

I asked my Discord what everyone thought about Kit Connor as Cyclops, and there was a lot to say. Some liked it, plenty did not. Elijah wrote, "Not the best choice, can't lie. Not horrible though." Dirty Burrito said, "As long as he plays one of the most important roles in the franchise correctly, all will be well," which I think is really what it comes down to.

Porter wrote, "I hate to say this, and this is no disrespect, but Marvel really did just emasculate Cyclops with his casting." I guess he plays gay roles in some shows, to my knowledge, including one alongside the actor who plays Billy in Agatha All Along. Other comments compared the reaction to Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman or Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, situations where people were skeptical at first. Emmy said she preferred the idea of Drew Starkey for the role, and I will admit I was kind of leaning toward that idea too, or maybe Patrick Schwarzenegger, before this news came out.

My Verdict: I Am Keeping an Open Mind

I do not like when movies emasculate men, and I hope that is not what is happening here. I hope Connor is the Cyclops leader that we deserve, kind of like how James Marsden was not portrayed the right way in the original X-Men films, but now that we are getting him again in Doomsday, it seems like that has been made right. Hopefully Marvel does the same for Cyclops going forward.

You never really know what goes on in a studio behind closed doors. Ryan Gosling and Kevin Feige have both said they met for years talking about roles and about Ghost Rider specifically, and it never happened until Gosling worked with Shawn Levy on Star Wars, after which they both went back to Feige and made it happen. So sometimes these castings take a long time to click into place behind the scenes.

According to Deadline, who is very reputable, Connor has been cast, but until we hear it from Marvel directly, there is still a slight chance something changes, whether that is contracts not going through or a deal not getting worked out. I want this to be good, I want it to work, so we will see.

What do you think of Kit Connor as Cyclops, and does Jensen Ackles have the aura to play Magneto?