The MCU's X-Men Reboot Can Finally Make Up For Fox's Biggest Casting Insult

Published Sep 15, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT Simon Gallagher has worked in movie and TV journalism for more than 17 years. He has written more than 6000 articles and reviews, and edited thousands more. He is an expert in the entertainment industry, particularly in the golden age of screen superheroes. Simon is also a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic. Even with Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars on the horizon, the most daunting upcoming MCU project is something entirely different. Rebooting the X-Men after years in quiet development is more than a matter of recasting Wolverine or Cyclops, or finding a new way to tell the Dark Phoenix story for the third time, it’s an opportunity to broaden the MCU out in the most significant way since Spider-Man came on board. The X-Men movie reboot will be a delicate balancing act of honoring classic comic history while also leaving behind the heavy baggage left behind by 20th Century Fox. The first X-Men franchise obviously delivered incredible highs, but its clumsy missteps in its final stretch were as poor as the triumphs were glorious. That’s not actually a bad background for Marvel to be operating with, given the potential for goodwill. Updates so far confirm Marvel Studios is taking the opportunity seriously: the X-Men reboot cast looks great on paper, and even with some notable absentees, the confirmation of so many fan favorite characters and the collection of great talent, including Adam Driver as Mr Sinister is a hugely positive first step. And we now get to see better versions of some legendary characters Fox simply didn’t do justice to. Emma Frost now has a real chance to shine, and the new Storm can wipe out memories of the second version that failed to live up to Halle Berry’s performance (which itself wasn’t universally loved). After Channing Tatum’s redemption of Gambit, mutant fans will be particularly excited by those other chances of a second life, and one mutant more than any other in the new class deserves it. Asa Germann has joined the cast as Warren Worthington III AKA Angel, and given the way Fox treated the founding member of the team - not least with a legendary fumble of huge talent 20 years ago - he has a major opportunity ahead of him. Fox Wasted a Perfect Casting With a Terrible Angel Credit: MovieStillsDB In 2006, Ben Foster hadn’t yet earned his reputation as one of Hollywood’s best and most interesting character actors. He had some eye-catching performances to his name: in The Punisher, Get Over It, Hostage, and particularly Alpha Dog, but he was still early in his career with 3:10 to Yuma, Hell or High Water, and 30 Days of Night all still ahead of him. But Fox’s casting team had obviously seen something in his early work, and he was handed Warren Worthington III’s wings for X-Men: The Last Stand. Looking back on the performance now, and the work he’s done since, they really didn’t realized what they had. Foster was fine as Angel, offering a vulnerability necessary for the story, and the narrative bones of his story were strong. Traumatized by the shame of his family at having a mutant heir, Warren is compelled to cut off his own wings, and he embarks on a journey of genuine self-realization. Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.” 🐺 Wolverine The Loner 🧠 Professor X The Visionary 🧲 Magneto The Survivor ACTIVATE CEREBRO → 01 Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do? ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever NEXT → 02 Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move? AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices NEXT → 03 A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into? AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails NEXT → 04 A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond? APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause NEXT → 05 A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do? AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes NEXT → 06 What’s your biggest flaw? AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong NEXT → 07 Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move? AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation NEXT → 08 What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants? ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything REVEAL MY MUTANT IDENTITY → Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men Identity 🐺 Wolverine (Logan) “I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed 🧠 Professor X (Charles Xavier) “Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful 🧲 Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) “Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding ↻ PLAY AGAIN That plot could have been the center of its own movie, but Brett Ratner's chaotic movie essentially just forgot Angel was important. He’s quickly and bafflingly relegated to just sort of standing silently in the background of a few scenes, with nothing to say and no meaningful interactions with major characters. As an original founding X-Man, Angel deserved more, but wasting an actor of Foster’s caliber, particularly with Alpha Dog and 3:10 to Yuma flanking the film’s release was unforgivable. No X-Men casting decision has been so excellent, and so poorly executed. The X-Men Movies Failed Angel Twice 10 years after The Last Stand treated Angel as an afterthought, X-Men: Apocalypse went one further by delivering an even worse version of the character. Recasting Foster with the younger Ben Hardy for the 1980s-set prequel timeline gave Fox the chance to reset things and make Angel important, especially with the weight of the Archangel plot to play with. But even in a movie roundly mocked for its portrayal of Apocalypse, Angel might be the worst character in the whole thing. After his introduction, Angel is given a power upgrade by Apocalypse, and becomes the metal-infused Archangel, and in place of any of the substance of the comics version of his transformation, Hardy’s Angel is essentially just a glorified henchmen. With no link to the X-Men, and no tragic past, his corruption by Apocalypse lacks any emotional resonance. He’s a mutant cage fighter who gets injured, turns to alcohol, and is then, for no apparent reason, turned into one of the Horsemen by Apocalypse. It all feels like a flimsy excuse to show off a flying mutant with metal wings. While The Last Stand’s simple Angel design was fine, Apocalypse turns him into a heavy metal monstrosity - probably the worst character design in a movie full of them (Psylocke aside) - and the badass look he sported as Archangel in the comics is a world away. That is perhaps why, for the second time in a decade, Angel is given precisely nothing to do in Apocalypse, confirming without doubt that nobody at Fox ever had any idea how to use him. As a founding member of the new MCU X-Men team, Asa Germann’s Angel will hopefully turn the tide for Angel. He’s an incredibly interesting figure, with a background unlike the other mutants, and while his visual execution may pose a challenge, we finally have the chance to see something good done in his name on screen. X-Men Release Date May 5, 2028 Director Jake Schreier Writers Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin, Michael Lesslie Producers Kevin Feige Cast Samara Weaving Emma Frost