Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.
Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026.
Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling.
It's a new dawn for X-Men. 63 years into the franchise, spanning everything from its first comic book to the latest X-Men '97, the series is entering a new generation with its upcoming 2028 X-Men film. It will be the first major X-Men movie since the third installment of the original 20th Century Fox series, 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. Since then, multiple X-Men-adjacent movies have been released, with some, like X-Men: Apocalypse, receiving a lukewarm reception, while others, such as Logan, were widely celebrated.
This time around, the franchise is going back to square one with a fresh cast of actors taking on some of the most iconic X-Men characters, alongside a surprising villain. From an actor best known for a popular Netflix romance series to a Broadway actress making her film debut, here is every X-Men actor announced at D23 2026.
Kit Connor as Scott Summers/Cyclops
Kit Connor as Nick Nelson looking to the distance in Heartstopper.Image via Netflix
Scott Summers/Cyclops (Kit Connor) is the no-nonsense leader of the X-Men. Best known for his optic blasts, he's instantly recognizable by his trademark ruby-quartz glasses. He neither has the strongest physique nor the most powerful abilities on the team, but he's the go-to guy for strategy. However, his constant need to make plans and ensure that both their missions and the school run smoothly stems from a traumatic past that left him needing a certain degree of control over his life.
Connor got his start in television as a child actor and even had the opportunity to play a teenage Elton John in Rocketman. However, the actor truly had his breakthrough as the level-headed and equally reliable pillar of support for Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) in Heartstopper. On the action front, he's also dabbled in an ensemble team setting with his fellow comrades in Warfare, giving him an all-around edge that mirrors Summers.
Sadie Sink as Jean Grey/Phoenix
Jean Gray (Sadie Sink) looking down in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Sadie Sink crying on the bed in Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well: The Short Film'Image via Taylor Swift Productions
Max Mayfield standing in a cave and looking scared in Stranger Things Season 5Image via Netflix
Sadie Sink in 'The Whale'Image via A24
Sadie Sink as Jean Gray in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Jean Gray (Sadie Sink) looking down in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Sadie Sink crying on the bed in Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well: The Short Film'Image via Taylor Swift Productions
Max Mayfield standing in a cave and looking scared in Stranger Things Season 5Image via Netflix
Sadie Sink in 'The Whale'Image via A24
Sadie Sink as Jean Gray in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Jean Grey/Phoenix (Sadie Sink) is the more emotional counterpart to the stiff Summers, with her feelings deeply intertwined with her telepathic and telekinetic abilities. In X-Men lore, her powers are often a source of conflict because they're connected to the cosmic, godlike Phoenix Force, which can emerge when Grey loses control and unleashes enough power to potentially destroy the universe. Yet, despite her tremendous abilities, Grey is the first to ground the team when necessary—always willing to listen, understand, and calm others down.
Sink is no stranger to playing empathetic characters, with her most famous role being Max Mayfield in Stranger Things. Like Max, Grey tends to keep her emotions bottled up, but under pressure, she breaks down those walls to protect her friends. Sink has also delivered intense performances as Ellie in The Whale, portraying her complicated feelings toward her estranged father, and in Taylor Swift's "All Too Well: The Short Film," further showcasing her versatility.
Samara Weaving as Emma Frost/White Queen
Samara Weaving as Grace wears a wedding dress and a bullet sash in Ready or Not.Image via Searchlight Pictures
Emma Frost/White Queen (Samara Weaving) is the team's resident baddie, keeping the X-Men in check with her sharp tongue and even sharper attitude. Historically, Frost wasn't originally part of the team. Born into a wealthy but abusive family, she left home after discovering her telepathic abilities and later joined the Hellfire Club, where she also developed her signature diamond form. Initially an antagonist, Frost ultimately joined the X-Men and became the team's brutally honest anti-heroine.
Weaving has appeared in plenty of projects, gaining traction with her sweet-but-deadly role as a murderous nanny inThe Babysitter.However, she truly made Grace Le Domas her own in Ready or Not, battling her murderous in-laws through a series of intense action sequences and stunts. Although her appearance as Constance Moore in Babylonis brief, Weaving shows off her ability to deliver a blunt, snappy attitude, which bodes well for her portrayal of Frost's icy personality.
Inde Navarrette as Anne Marie/Rogue
Inde Navarrette as Nikki in 'Obsession'Image via Focus Features
Anne Marie/Rogue (Inde Navarrette) has powers that rival Grey's in intensity. Through skin-to-skin contact, she can absorb memories, personality traits, and physical abilities, making her powers dangerous not only to others but also to herself. Without proper training, everything she absorbs can become overwhelming, which makes intimacy difficult for her. She's afraid that the closer someone gets, the more likely she is to hurt them, whether she means to or not.
Navarrette made her television debut in 2020 with Season 4 of 13 Reasons Whybefore landing a starring role as Sarah Cortez in Superman & Lois. Her most recent breakthrough came with the horror film Obsession, where she played Nikki Freeman, a physically and emotionally demanding role that required her to portray both intense violence and the trauma of being possessed against her will. That experience could translate well to Rogue, whose powers often leave her feeling similarly powerless over herself.
COLLIDER
Collider · Quiz
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality QuizWhich MCU Hero Are You?Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
QUESTION 1 / 10MOTIVATION
01
What drives you to do what's right?Choose the answer that feels most like you.
QUESTION 2 / 10YOUR CITY
02
It's 2 AM. Where are you?Your answer says more about you than you'd think.
QUESTION 3 / 10CONFLICT STYLE
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?Every hero has a method. What's yours?
QUESTION 4 / 10SECRET IDENTITY
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
QUESTION 5 / 10LOSS & GRIEF
05
You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that?Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
QUESTION 6 / 10TEAM DYNAMICS
06
What's your role when working with a team?Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
QUESTION 7 / 10MORAL CODE
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
QUESTION 8 / 10EVERYDAY LIFE
08
When you're not saving the world, what does life look like?The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
QUESTION 9 / 10FEAR
09
What keeps you up at night?Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.
QUESTION 10 / 10FINAL STAND
10
The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been IdentifiedYour MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you.
Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell's Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
Maya Boyd as Ororo Munroe/Storm
Maya Boyd on the red carpet.Image via MediaPunch/INSTARimages
Ororo Munroe/Storm (Maya Boyd) is the authoritative voice of the X-Men. While Summers still struggles with self-doubt as a leader, Storm commands respect naturally, balancing confidence with enough compassion to listen to her team's concerns. But cross her, and she'll make her temper known. Much like her weather manipulation, her leadership requires precision and control; she knows when to assert herself and when to let others speak.
Unlike the rest of the announced cast, X-Men will mark Boyd's transition from Broadway to the screen. It's a significant challenge, especially with only three theatrical credits, including & Juliet. However, Storm's commanding voice has long been one of her defining traits, popularized by Alison Sealy-Smith in the original animated series. Coincidentally, Sealy-Smith also has a Shakespearean theater background, making Boyd's musical theater training and Broadway experience a promising fit for the role.
Christopher Abbott as Charles Xavier/Professor X
Christopher Abbott plays Michael in Bring Them Down.Image via Mubi
Charles Xavier/Professor X (Christopher Abbott) is the all-wise, calm leader of the Xavier Institute, which has long housed and trained mutants to reach their potential while teaching them to use their abilities ethically. As the founder of the X-Men, Charles has always advocated for peace. Despite governments and rebellious mutants constantly clashing over who should dominate the world, Charles believes in human-mutant coexistence, where both sides can understand and benefit from one another.
Abbott might be best known for his role in the coming-of-age Girls, where he played the gentle and earnest Charlie Dattolo. However, he also explored complex emotions in James White, where his character struggles with bottled-up feelings in private, much like Charles. As a leader, Charles carries enormous responsibility, and Abbott's role as John Yossarian in Catch-22offers another fitting reference point, portraying an unconventional hero who doesn't budge his moral compass and refuses to blindly accept authority.
Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury/Mister Sinister
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in The Rise of SkywalkerImage via Lucasfilm
Nathaniel Milbury/Mister Sinister (Adam Driver) is obsessed with creating the "perfect" mutant. Originally a 19th-century British scientist, Milbury's research combines evolution with eugenics, leading him down an increasingly disturbing path. He develops a particular interest in the Summers and Grey bloodlines, explaining his fixation on these two mutants. In between being an intelligent and ruthless scientist, Milbury has also genetically modified himself, allowing him to manipulate his own DNA and alter his abilities as he sees fit.
Driver's casting announcement was easily one of the biggest surprises at D23, but his cold and calculating demeanor makes him a surprisingly fitting choice. After all, Driver is no stranger to playing intimidating characters, having portrayed Kylo Ren in Star Wars, whose mere presence can make audiences uneasy. For Milbury's intellectual arrogance, however, Marriage Story offers another strong reference point, with Driver's character often convinced that his perspective is fundamentally correct.