Obsession star circling iconic X-Men role in Marvel’s MCU reboot

It's not every day a star casually drops hints about the X-Men reboot actually moving forward at Marvel Studios, but that's exactly what's happened. Inde Navarrette, who took a star turn in the surprise smash Obsession, has decided to stoke the mutant rumour mill further, this time with some solid facts rather than just the usual internet speculation.

Navarrette Meets Marvel’s New Mutant Boss

Right, here's the bit that's got everyone talking. Navarrette revealed on Variety's Up Next podcast that she's met with Jake Schreier—the bloke Marvel's handed the keys to their first proper X-Men team-up in the MCU. Schreier's last Marvel gig, Thunderbolts*, was pretty well received, mainly for focusing on character drama instead of just setting up endless sequels, which, in my view, is a minor miracle these days.

Navarrette told podcast host Marc Malkin: "I thought what Jake brought to 'Thunderbolts' was what I used to love about Marvel. It was character-driven, and the whole time I just couldn't stop yapping about how much I appreciated what he did with Marvel."

Now, actors take meetings round Hollywood all the time, and most of these 'chats' disappear into the void. But in this case, you've got a rising star with a genuine MCU fanbase, big box office heat from Obsession—which cleared a cool $400 million globally—and she's openly discussing Marvel's X-Men efforts on a major podcast. The timing's a bit much to write off.

Navarrette was careful to add, "That's kind of the luxury I have right now, meeting all these different kinds of people. Not all of those meetings turn into projects, but sometimes it's just, 'I really want to work with you. I've seen this project, and this one, and this one.'"

She also admitted she finds all the online casting theories a bit entertaining: whenever she sees a new X-Men rumour pop up, she 'giggles' because 'obviously I know the truth.' Not what you say if literally nothing's happening, is it? That could mean she's in, or it could just mean she knows who's actually landed the roles—but either way, she’s definitely in the know.

Where Does She Fit?

If you spend any time in the fan corners online, you'll know Navarrette has been pitched as an ideal fit for a raft of X-Men characters ever since Obsession hit it big. Asked about what part she’d fancy, she put her cards on the table—sort of. As she put it, Mystique has 'always been super cool.'

• Mystique—arguably the most featured mutant in Fox’s X-Men run—has had Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence bringing her to life across seven films.
• Romijn is actually swinging back into the cape in Avengers: Doomsday this December, reuniting alongside legacy X-Men actors like Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer and Alan Cumming.
• Meanwhile, Samara Weaving is apparently circling the role of Emma Frost, which is the biggest X-Men reboot casting news so far to break into the trades.

All of this, plus the casting wheels starting to turn on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, points to Marvel gearing up for a proper 'mutant era' at last. With a full line-up reveal expected at D23, every shred of evidence about casting or direction is getting pored over. The one through-line? Marvel seem to want a fresh angle, with Schreier’s character-driven stamp likely to carry over, especially toward characters Fox historically left underdeveloped—Emma Frost, Mystique, all the rest.