X-23 Star Dafne Keen Says Kit Connor Will Bring “Masculine Strength and Fragility” to Cyclops in X-MEN
Marvel’s new X-Men movie has found its Cyclops in Kit Connor, and one of his former co-stars already thinks he’s exactly the guy Scott Summers needs.
Dafne Keen, who has her own history with Marvel’s mutant universe as Laura/X-23, previously worked with Connor on His Dark Materials. When asked about the actor taking on Cyclops, Keen had nothing but praise for him, particularly when it comes to the combination of toughness and vulnerability he can bring to the character.
Marvel officially confirmed Connor’s casting this weekend after reports of his involvement surfaced earlier. Before the announcement was made official, Keen spoke with MovieWeb at Fan EXPO Boston and was asked what she thought about her former co-star potentially putting on Cyclops’ famous visor.
"I think he's perfect," Keen said. "Kit is such a brilliant, funny, talented, charismatic young man, and he's just perfect. Yeah, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about him. He's such a sweet boy, and he's so incredibly talented.
“We worked together for years without knowing each other. He was just playing the voice of my soul, which is kind of crazy. We've never met him playing my soul...I think he's gonna kill it. It's gonna break."
That strange comment about Connor playing the voice of Keen’s soul makes a lot more sense if you watched His Dark Materials.
Keen starred as Lyra Belacqua in the HBO fantasy series, while Connor provided the voice of Pantalaimon, better known as Pan, Lyra’s dæmon. In the world of the series, deamons are physical manifestations of a person’s soul, which meant Connor was quite literally voicing Keen’s soul.
It’s crazy that they spent years working on the same series without really getting to work with each other. Pan was a CGI character, so Connor recorded his dialogue separately from Keen’s work on set. The two eventually got the opportunity to appear on screen together in Season 3.
When she was asked what he could bring to Scott Summers that audiences might not have seen from previous versions of Cyclops, she pointed to a specific quality, saying:
"What's really wonderful about Kit is he brings me this kind of really amazing masculine strength and fragility at the same time.”
Scott Summers is one of the X-Men’s most capable leaders, but he’s also a character carrying an enormous amount of emotional baggage.
He can be disciplined, commanding and incredibly powerful while still struggling with the weight of responsibility, relationships and his own insecurities. Connor getting a chance to explore both sides could give Marvel a compelling version of the character.
Keen made her Marvel debut opposite Hugh Jackman in 2017’s Logan, where her fierce performance as Laura/X-23 made her an instant fan favorite. She finally returned to the role in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, bringing Laura into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There have been reports that Keen is interested in playing X-23 again in the upcoming X-Men movie, although Marvel hasn’t announced her as part of the cast.
Seeing Laura and Scott Summers cross paths in the MCU could be cool, especially with Keen and Connor finally getting the opportunity to work together in a much more conventional way.
The new X-Men saga is expected to begin in 2028, and Disney has confirmed the initial lineup. Sadie Sink will play Jean Grey, Connor will take on Cyclops, Christopher Abbott is Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving is Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette is Rogue, Maya Boyd is Storm, and Adam Driver will play Nathaniel Milbury, better known as Mister Sinister.
Scott Summers is one of Marvel’s most important characters in X-Men, and getting his personality right will be a major part of making this new incarnation of the X-Men work.
Keen certainly seems convinced Connor can pull it off.