Cooper Hoffman Shuts Down Cyclops X-MEN Casting Rumor With a Fun Response: "Not Going to Be Me"
Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot rumor train has been running at full speed lately, with new casting reports seemingly popping up every other day.
From Rogue and Beast to Mister Sinister, just about every major mutant has been tied to at least one actor. One of the latest names thrown into the mix was Cooper Hoffman, with rumors claiming he could be in line to play Cyclops.
Well, Hoffman has officially responded, and he couldn't have been more amused by the speculation. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Hoffman was asked directly if he was about to suit up as Scott Summers in Marvel Studios' upcoming X-Men movie. His answer immediately put the rumor to rest.
“Not going to be me, but I love the X-Men. Not for any reason, it’s just not. I don’t know where this came from. Sh-t spreads!”
The actor couldn't help but laugh as he dismissed the reports, making it pretty clear that nobody from Marvel Studios has given him a call... at least not yet.
That doesn't mean he'd turn the opportunity down if Kevin Feige came knocking, though. When asked if he'd actually want to play Cyclops, Hoffman didn't hesitate.
“Of course. They don’t, but I wish they did! I love X-Men. I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. It would be such an honor.”
It's a fun response because it shows he's just as much of an X-Men fan as the rest of us, even if the current rumors don't hold any weight.
Marvel Studios is finally bringing the mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after acquiring 20th Century Fox, and the project is beginning to take shape. Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier has officially signed on to direct the film, with Michael Lesslie writing the screenplay under the guidance of Kevin Feige.
An official cast still hasn't been announced, but the rumor mill has been relentless over the past month. Odessa A'zion and Inde Navarrette have both been mentioned as possible choices for Rogue, Adam Driver has reportedly been linked to Mister Sinister, while Charles Melton and Peter Claffey have each surfaced in reports surrounding Beast.
Then, of course, there’s Sadie Sink, who is playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
One thing that has become increasingly clear through all these rumors is that Marvel Studios appears to be aiming much younger than Fox's original X-Men cast. Hoffman is 23, nearly the same age as Sink, and many of the actors being linked to the reboot fall into that same generation.
That would be a noticeable shift from Fox's first X-Men films, where actors like James Marsden and Halle Berry stepped into their mutant roles as established adults.
Marvel seems to be building a team that can grow together over the course of multiple movies, much like the comics, where the X-Men have often been portrayed as teenagers and young adults learning to control their powers while trying to figure out who they are.
That direction gives Schreier and his team plenty of room to develop long-term character arcs instead of telling a story confined to a single trilogy.
Even if Hoffman isn't destined to wear Cyclops' iconic visor, it's easy to understand why fans connected his name to the project.
His breakout performance in Licorice Pizza earned him Best Actor nominations at both the Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, and his starring role in The Long Walk has only raised his profile as one of Hollywood's most exciting young actors.
With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars expected to wrap up the current chapter of the MCU before the X-Men officially take center stage, Marvel Studios still has plenty of time to lock down its mutant roster.
Hoffman may have shut down the Cyclops rumors for now, but if Marvel eventually finds another character for him to play, it wouldn't be surprising at all. He certainly sounds ready to join the MCU if the opportunity ever comes calling.