KJ Apa auditioned for Marvel’s X-Men reboot — and didn’t get the part
Riverdale’s KJ Apa has spoken about his Marvel audition for the X-Men reboot — and the update won’t please anyone who fancied seeing him in it.
If you've been keeping tabs on the never-ending rumour mill surrounding Marvel's X-Men reboot, here’s a bit of eyebrow-raising news from the world of near-misses and could-have-beens. KJ Apa – yes, the bloke from Riverdale who seems perpetually windswept – recently admitted he tried to get his foot in the door of the MCU. Spoiler: he didn't quite make the cut.
Riverdale star KJ Apa revealed he auditioned for Marvel's X-Men reboot and didn't get the role: "I didn’t get that one, but that’s fine."
He let this nugget slip in an interview with Collider’s Maggie Lovitt. She tried to keep the hope alive by pointing out the sprawling potential of the franchise, but Apa confirmed he’d already tested for a part and, well... no dice.
Casting confusion and speculation
No-one outside Marvel's concrete bunker knows exactly which character Apa was hoping for, but fans seem fairly sure it was Cyclops. That job has already gone to Kit Connor (of Heartstopper fame), so there’s that mystery solved – unless Marvel starts rolling out variants again.
The X-Men casting circus is still in full swing. Marvel revealed a chunk of the line-up at New York Comic Con, but plenty of faces are still up in the air – or, in a couple of cases, not even confirmed as part of the reboot. Word is, the new film will definitely include Rogue, Angel, Professor X (of course), Emma Frost, Mister Sinister, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and maybe Iceman.
The MCU's new X-Men line-up, announced in 2028, features several classic characters but has left key roles, such as Magneto and Wolverine, the subject of heated fan speculation.
Given that most of Xavier’s original gang is showing up in the 2028 movie (yes, we’ll apparently live that long), Hank McCoy – or Beast if you prefer the furry nickname – might tag along too. Peter Claffey (from that Game of Thrones offshoot with the very tall knight) is being bandied about for the role but, again, it’s nothing but gossip for now.
And about those wild Wolverine rumours...
No update on Daniel Radcliffe picking up the claws for Wolverine, sadly. Fans keep casting him online, and the theories have only ramped up this month, particularly since Marvel’s been awfully quiet about who else is actually involved. Magneto, Nightcrawler, and Gambit are all still TBA, with the internet playing fantasy football manager until something official drops.