Before Marvel announced its first X-Men casting choices at D23, Cailee Spaeny was one of the frontrunners to play Rogue in the new mutant MCU movies. However, that was thrown out the window when Marvel announced the new cast members, which included Inde Navarrette (Obsession), who won the role of Rogue. Along with Navarrette, Marvel also announced the casting of Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, Kit Conner as Cyclops, and Maya Boyd as Storm. The previously revealed Samara Weaving was also officially introduced as Emma Frost, and Sadie Sink was there after originating her role as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
However, while Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Wake Up Dead Man) wasn’t there as one of the new cast members, there are still rumors that she is up for a role in the MCU. With Rogue out of the picture, here are five other characters that the actress might be perfect for.
Polaris is Magneto’s daughter, and she shares many of his powers, with the ability to control the magnetic forces on Earth. Depending on who Marvel casts to play Magneto in the MCU, Spaeny could be a great choice for Polaris. There are rumors that Magneto will have a different origin, eliminating his Holocaust origin to update things to more modern times, where he is a victim of experimentation instead. There are also rumors that he could be in his 30s. Abbott, who plays Professor X, is 40.
This would mean that Polaris should be in her teens, or at the oldest, her early 20s. Spaeny is 28, so she could play much younger. Sadie Sink is 24, and she plays a teenager in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so the actor’s real age shouldn’t matter here. Tom Holland is 29 and played a character in his early 20s. What matters is that the character works and the actor fits the role well. Spaeny could be great as the character, and Polaris deserves to be in the MCU.
Mystique has been an important part of the X-Men movie world since the start. In the original trilogy, Rebecca Romijn played the character, and she will return to the role in Avengers: Doomsday. In the prequels, Jennifer Lawrence took over the role and turned Mystique into a hero, although she died in Dark Phoenix. As Mystique is now one of the most well-known mutants on the big screen, it would make sense to bring her back for the MCU’s take on the character.
Spaeny could be great in the role of Mystique. It would be a big role, since it would require a lot of time in makeup, unless Marvel decides to do it with CG, which would be a mistake. It would also mean that a lot of times, when she would be morphing into other characters, she wouldn’t be on screen as much as other options. That said, Mystique has been a follower and a member of the X-Men in the movies, and this could give her a chance to lead her own version of the Brotherhood, which could be a great fit for Spaeny.
The new X-Men team is so far filled with characters that all fans know, from comic book readers to fans of the movies and even people who love the animated shows. However, there are plenty of great characters from the comics who haven’t become popular in the movies, and the MCU should use a few of these characters. In fact, it is a lesser-known character who could become the breakout star of the movies. A great lesser-known character that Spaeny could be great portraying is Tempus.
This is Eva Bell, a young woman from Australia who idolized heroes like Captain America from a young age. What she didn’t know was that she would develop powers and need the X-Men to rescue her when they activated at the worst time possible. Tempus is a near Omega-level mutant who can freeze time for up to 20 hours, which also allows a form of time travel. Her powers caused her to freeze an entire block in her town. Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Magneto rescued her before she could be arrested, and they helped train her. It could be a great way to introduce a new mutant to the movies.
Spaney should in no way play Psylocke, as Marvel smartly separated Betsy Braddock and Kwannon, and allowed Kwannon to fully embrace her Japanese heritage. There is also no way that the MCU should bring in any American actress to play Psylocke, as Fox did in X-Men: Apocalypse with Olivia Munn. Instead, Psylocke, if she appears, should be played by a Japanese actress. However, that doesn’t mean Betsy Braddock should be in the MCU.
Even separate from Psylocke, Betsy Braddock is still a mutant, and she is part of a legendary family that includes her brothers James (Monarch) and Brian (Captain Avalon). Ever since Brian became Captain Avalon, Betsy took over his previous role as Captain Britain, and she could be a great part of the overall mutant population in the MCU. Spaeny could fit into this role perfectly, and Betsy could be another newcomer to the big screen who helps the MCU differentiate its X-Men from the previous versions.
From what most fans are saying, it seems that most people want to see Spaeny play Kitty Pryde. There are a lot of people who are against this choice, but that is based on what people are bringing into the franchise from their own biases. The biggest complaint against Spaeny playing Pryde is that Kitty has always been the youngest X-Men member and, at 28, not even Spaeny can pull that off. However, nothing says that Kitty has to be a 14-year-old in the modern day.
Marvel Comics has come a long way with Kitty, taking her from a teenage hero and turning her into an adult who has led her own mutant teams over the years. She changed her name to Kate Pryde, and she has become a close confidant and friend of Emma Frost. With Weaving at 34, having Kitty Pryde in her 20s could really go a long way in developing their relationship. Spaeny could be a great Kitty, especially if the MCU chooses not to use the teenage version of that hero in the X-Men movies.
