X-MEN Star Inde Navarrette Was Dropping Hints About Playing Rogue in X-MEN, But Nobody Caught On

Inde Navarrette was having a little fun with Marvel fans before her casting as Rogue in X-Men was officially announced. The Obsession star recently revealed that she had been dropping clues about her role in the MCU, but apparently nobody picked up on what she was trying to tell them.

Back in July, Navarrette confirmed that she'd met with Jake Schreier, who is directing Marvel Studios' upcoming X-Men movie. Naturally, that got fans wondering which mutant she might be playing.

During a previous interview, she mentioned one character she was particularly interested in, saying, "Mystique has always been super cool."

It seemed like a pretty straightforward answer, and fans had every reason to think she was interested in playing the shape-shifting mutant. But when Marvel officially unveiled its X-Men cast at D23, Navarrette surprised everyone by stepping out as Rogue instead.

As it turns out, her earlier comments about Mystique weren't meant to throw fans off completely. She was actually giving them a clue, and she thought comic book readers might figure it out.

Speaking with Collider, Navarrette explained, “I did know, but that wasn't a lie,” referring to her earlier comments about Mystique. She went on to explain the connection between the two characters and why she thought her little hint might give away the surprise.

“The way that that character is, it's so complicated, and it's so nuanced when you have the originality of the story. Her and Rogue are also very similar, you know what I mean, if you've read the comics. So I was not lying. I was dropping hints, and I was like, 'If anybody's picking up what I'm putting down?', but nobody did."

It's actually a clever choice of character to bring up, especially considering Rogue and Mystique's complicated history in Marvel Comics. Mystique is Rogue's adoptive mother in the comics, and their relationship has played a major role in both characters' stories over the years.

There's also an interesting connection between their mutant abilities. Mystique can physically transform into other people, while Rogue can absorb someone else's powers and memories through physical contact.

Navarrette figured that mentioning Mystique might get a few hardcore X-Men fans thinking about Rogue, but it just managed to slip right past everyone. I’m not sure how she thought anyone would pick up on that, but ok.

Now that we know who she's playing, it'll be interesting to see what Marvel has planned for Rogue and whether her relationship with Mystique will factor into the new movie.

Navarrette joins an impressive cast that includes Sadie Sink, Kit Connor, Adam Driver, and Christopher Abbott. Marvel Studios' X-Men is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2028.