Marvel is eyeing a specific type of actor for its new X-Men franchise - and I think it could solve a big mystery about Spider-Man 4's cast
Marvel is reportedly searching for young actors for its X-Men movie reboot
A new report suggests it'll help the studio to make a cheaper film
If true, it might solve a big mystery about one of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's cast members
A new report claims Marvel is looking for up-and-coming actors to play the X-Men in its rebooted film series – and, if true, it might solve one of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's biggest mysteries.
Per Variety, the comic giant is eyeing younger talent to portray its iconic mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). According to an agent Variety spoke to, Marvel's decision to hire rising stars and unknown quantities is part of a new cost-cutting mandate that aims to reduce how much it spends on new movies and Disney+ shows.
Variety's article, which was published yesterday (July 30), arrives just over a week after Marvel president Kevin Feige dropped the biggest hint yet over the type of star he wants to see in Marvel's untitled X-Men movie.
Speaking to Nerdist, Feige, who also confirmed Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier would direct the flick after online reports claimed he would, said: "Jake has his pulse on, shall we say, a younger demographic. Not – he's younger than me, for sure – but he's tapped into that in a way that I think is important. It was important for Thunderbolts* [and] much more important for X-Men, because X-Men, as it was in the comics, will be a very youth-oriented, focused, and cast movie."
What has Marvel's X-Men movie cast scouting got to do with Spider-Man 4?
In some ways, Marvel's plan to scour the globe for young talent to star in its forthcoming X-Men film is similar to 20th Century Fox's approach to its own X-Men movie series reboot. The latter saw the likes of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence appear in four films – starting with 2011's X-Men: First Class – that featured a younger version of Professor X, Magneto, and company.
If it's true that Marvel is seeking out less established actors to portray the MCU's X-Men to save cash, it almost certainly puts a pin in one cast rumor concerning Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Indeed, Spider-Man 4, which has just started filming in Glasgow, Scotland, is reportedly set to feature Sadie Sink in a substantial role alongside Tom Holland's webslinger.
There's been no official word on which character the Stranger Things actor might play – in fact, nobody close to the movie's production has actually confirmed that she's part of proceedings. Nevertheless, one of the prevailing theories about who she could portray is Jean Grey, aka one of the most famous mutants in Marvel's storied history.
In light of Marvel's apparent desire to keep costs down across the board on its X-Men project, though, the possibility that Sink could play Jean Grey is basically a non-starter.
According to a Puck newsletter circulated to subscribers in January 2023, Sink is reportedly set to earn over $7 million for Stranger Things season 5. At the time, Puck indicated the wildly popular Netflix show's final season led to all of its main cast members receiving bumper new pay deals.
It's difficult to corroborate Puck's claim. However, if it's true, Sink's seven-figure sum for one of the best Netflix shows' final hurrah would basically rule her out of playing Jean Grey in the MCU. Marvel isn't going to pay Sink that kind of sum if it planned on hiring her to play the telekinetic superhuman across multiple projects. Feige has already confirmed the X-Men will be front and center of the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars wraps up the Multiverse Saga. Whoever signs on to play one of mutant-kind, then, will be in it for the long haul and Marvel will ensure they're locked into deals that won't increase their pay 10-fold every time they appear.
Need more proof that hiring non-A-listers for comic book movies is the way to go from a financial perspective? Just look at Superman, the first DC Universe (DCU) movie released as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted cinematic franchise. According to a July 2025 edition of the Puck newsletter, leading man David Corenswet was paid just $750,000 to appear in the DCU Chapter One film. That's around a tenth of what Sink is apparently going to earn from Stranger Things 5.
If Marvel wants to save money, it should follow DC Studios' lead and not fork out seven-figure sums to anyone it hires to play one of the X-Men. It's for that reason alone that I'm more than convinced than ever that Sink can't possibly be playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man's next big-screen adventure.
For more on Holland's next MCU project, including why Spider-Man 4's release date was delayed, check out my dedicated guide on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Once you're done, peruse the below section for more X-Men, Spider-Man, and Marvel-based content.
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