Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot is shaping up nicely, with numerous iconic mutants already cast for the film, which arrives May 5, 2028. There are still significant additions to be made, though, and the studio is reportedly casting its first gay X-Men hero in the MCU. The X-Men franchise has traditionally centered on minority politics, serving as an allegory for marginalized communities, so characters representing historically excluded groups were always bound to appear in the Mutant Saga. The studio reportedly plans to start that work right out of the gate with its first X-Men movie.
According to industry insider Alex Perez, founding X-Men member Robert Louis "Bobby" Drake will be part of the X-Men reboot. If accurate, it will mark Marvel Studios' first gay X-Men character in the MCU. Another fairly reliable scooper, Daniel Richtman, corroborated the report on X (formerly Twitter), quote-posting it with the word "yes." The report also mentions Beast, meaning both remaining members of the original 1963 lineup are now in the casting pipeline.
Marvel has already introduced Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, cast Kit Connor as Scott Summers and Asa Germann as Angel, so adding Iceman and Beast would complete the original five, placing them together in the same movie for the first time in live-action.
Bobby Drake's rumored inclusion is the more interesting report, given that he is one of the most popular gay characters in comics. It would be a pivotal moment of representation for the LGBTQ community, placing one of its own front and center in one of Marvel's biggest theatrical releases of 2028. Iceman debuted in X-Men #1 in 1963 as a founding member of the team. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created him as the youngest of the original five, a jokester who froze the moisture in the air around him. Comics later upgraded Bobby to omega-level status, marking him as one of the most powerful mutants alive.
Everything changed in All-New X-Men #40. Writer Brian Michael Bendis had the teenage, time-displaced Bobby confront his sexuality after Jean Grey read his mind. The adult Bobby then came out as gay in Uncanny X-Men #600, and the reveal made worldwide headlines. Northstar came first as Marvel's original gay superhero, but Iceman became the publisher's most famous gay X-Man overnight.
The Fox X-Men movies sadly never explored this side of the character, with Shawn Ashmore playing a straight Bobby across four films, dating Anna Paquin's Rogue. Iceman's original comic flame, Polaris, at least got a major spotlight this summer as part of X-Factor in X-Men '97 Season 2.
With the MCU having already broken ground with gay characters like Phastos in Eternals and Billy Maximoff in Agatha All Along, Bobby's sexuality is likely to be explored properly in Jake Schreier's movie. Beyond the Iceman and Beast reports, countless other mutants from the comics could potentially appear in the reboot, though some have a stronger chance than others.
Other Mutant Heroes Who Could Feature in Marvel's X-Men Reboot
Havok
Alex Summers knows a thing or two about family drama, which is likely to be central to this reboot given that Marvel has cast Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Cyclops' younger brother debuted in the late '60s as one of the first mutants to join after the original five, and comics have made him everything from an X-Factor mainstay to the leader of an Avengers squad.
Lucas Till played Alex in three Fox films, though that continuity for some reason flipped the brothers' ages, making Alex the elder and Scott the younger. Alex was eventually killed off in X-Men: Apocalypse. He resurfaced recently on the government team X-Factor in X-Men '97 Season 2. With Kit Connor confirmed as Scott, the MCU has an easy door open for his brother. The first movie could skip the extra Summers baggage, but a sequel feels tailor-made for that sibling rivalry.
Jubilee
Jubilation Lee was introduced in the comics in 1989 and became even more popular through X-Men: The Animated Series. X-Men '97 brought her back to the spotlight, with Season 2 making her a member of Cable's X-Force. Episode 2, "A Force to Be Reckoned With," dedicated to the team, was one of the best episodes of the entire series. Jubilee is a phenomenal character, but the movies have sadly done her dirty. She managed only blink-and-you-miss-it cameos in the original trilogy, and X-Men: Apocalypse cut most of Lana Condor's scenes.
Jubilee is a fun, younger X-Men character of Asian descent, offering Marvel an easy way to connect with a younger generation and pull in Asian fans. The chances of her appearing in the reboot are slim, though, given that the movie is clearly centering on a younger version of the original five. Logically, Marvel would introduce her later.
Magik
Illyana Rasputin's magical powers make her an intriguing candidate if Marvel wants a more fantastical flavor for the X-Men film. Colossus' younger sister grew up trapped in the demonic realm of Limbo and emerged as its sorceress queen, armed with a Soulsword and teleportation discs. Anya Taylor-Joy stole the show with her portrayal in The New Mutants.
The character's stock soared after that and keeps rising, with fans clamoring for more of her. She joined the launch roster of Marvel Rivals and starred in Marvel's Midnight Suns. Magik could crack open the supernatural side of mutantkind and seed a New Mutants-style spinoff. Marvel may save her for a second film, but her momentum makes it hard to imagine the Mutant Saga without her.
Colossus
Piotr Rasputin joined the X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1, the same 1975 relaunch that brought Storm into the fold. Fox reduced him to a background player, but the Deadpool trilogy turned Stefan Kapičić's metal-skinned take into a fan favorite, complete with a return in Deadpool & Wolverine.
X-Men '97 Season 2 even paid him a visit in the Savage Land. His ties to this lineup run deep: he fought beside Storm for decades, and his sister Magik waits in the wings. Every X-Men squad needs muscle, and there are not many better choices than Colossus.
Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde entered the comics in 1980, right as Storm's era of the team took shape, and grew from the X-Men's kid sister into one of their strongest leaders. Elliot Page's version proved pivotal in X-Men: Days of Future Past as the lynchpin of its time-travel plot, yet the films barely scratched her potential. Comics currently pair her with Emma Frost in Exceptional X-Men, where the two mentor young mutants together. That is a direct line to Samara Weaving's confirmed role. Kitty also dates women in current stories, which would let the film echo Iceman's own journey.
Gambit
Remy LeBeau has deep connections to the movie's confirmed cast. Gambit married Rogue in the comics, and Inde Navarrette is already confirmed for the role in the reboot. The ragin' Cajun is also more popular now than ever. Channing Tatum's fan-favorite take stole scenes in Deadpool & Wolverine and returns in Avengers: Doomsday this December.
Meanwhile, X-Men '97 killed him off in Season 1 and resurrected him as a Horseman of Apocalypse in Season 2. The open question is whether Marvel keeps Tatum for the MCU proper or recasts Remy for Earth-616. Either way, a Rogue without her Gambit will feel incomplete.
Nightcrawler
Kurt Wagner teleported into the team in Giant-Size X-Men #1 alongside Storm, and his film history swings between triumph and missed chances. Alan Cumming's turn in X2: X-Men United still ranks among the franchise's best, yet he walked away over the grueling makeup process.
Kodi Smit-McPhee played a younger Kurt in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, but neither film captured the swashbuckling showman of the comics. Cumming returns in Avengers: Doomsday this December in the character's classic red-and-black suit, and Nightcrawler shone in X-Men '97 as a main cast member. A more comic-accurate take in the reboot would be more than welcome.
Psylocke
Betsy Braddock suffered through two wasted movie appearances. X-Men: The Last Stand gave her a quick cameo before killing her off in the finale, and X-Men: Apocalypse gave Olivia Munn little more than a costume and a glow. The character has received a better spotlight in recent years, though.
Marvel Rivals turned Psylocke into a gaming phenomenon, and she joined the main cast of X-Men '97 Season 2. The films owe this character a real shot, and her psychic blade would slice nicely into a fresh team dynamic. Whether the MCU adapts Betsy or Kwannon, the telepathic ninja deserves better.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
