Kit Connor Eyed to Lead Marvel's X-MEN as the MCU's New Cyclops
Marvel Studios continues to lock in its new generation of mutants. Following reports that Samara Weaving was cast as Emma Frost in the upcoming X-Men movie, a new report says Marvel has found the actor who will step into the role of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops.
According to Deadline's sources, Kit Connor is the studio's choice to lead the iconic mutant team. The report explains that, much like the search for Emma Frost, director Jake Schreier and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige met with several actors before ultimately deciding on Connor.
Sources say the decision was made last week, making him the latest actor set to wear Cyclops' signature visor.
Marvel has apparently been hard at work assembling its new X-Men cast. The report says the casting process ramped up over the last few months, with a select group of actors testing for roles after the July 4 holiday.
Cyclops has been one of Marvel's defining heroes ever since debuting in The X-Men #1 back in 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
As the longtime field leader of the X-Men, Scott Summers is known for firing devastating optic blasts from his eyes, keeping those destructive powers in check with his signature ruby quartz visor or specially designed sunglasses.
The role has previously been played by James Marsden, who portrayed the character throughout Fox's original X-Men trilogy, and Tye Sheridan, who took over the role in the later prequel films. Marsden is also set to return as Cyclops in Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives this December.
Marvel fans have been eagerly waiting to see the studio introduce its own version of the X-Men ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019.
The mutant franchise was one of Fox's biggest successes, producing seven X-Men films along with the Wolverine trilogy, and anticipation has only continued to build as Marvel slowly puts the pieces together.
The project really started moving forward last year when Schreier signed on to direct. Since then, Lee Sung Jin, creator of Beef, and Joanna Calo, co-creator of The Bear, have joined the project to write the screenplay.
As for Connor, his career has been picking up serious momentum. He broke out with his standout performance in Netflix's Heartstopper and recently returned to that role in Heartstopper Forever.
He also caught the attention of director Alex Garland, who cast him in A24's Warfare before bringing him back for the upcoming adaptation of Elden Ring.
Personally, I don't know enough about Connor to say whether he's the perfect choice for Cyclops. I haven't really followed his career, so I have no idea if he's the right fit for Scott Summers.
That said, I do like that Marvel appears to be putting its faith in a lesser-known actor instead of chasing a bigger name.
If this report proves accurate, Connor will have some big shoes to fill. Cyclops is one of Marvel's most important mutants, and with the X-Men finally making their way into the MCU, whoever plays him is going to be under the microscope from day one.
I just hope they make Cyclops a strong character in the MCU and give him a great story arc. He’s always been underutilized in the films, and it would be nice to see his full potential realized.