Marvel Studios appears to have found its Scott Summers. According to a report from Deadline, “Heartstopper” star Kit Connor is the studio’s pick to play Cyclops in its long-awaited “X-Men” reboot, arriving just days after Samara Weaving was linked to the role of Emma Frost.
The Report
Deadline was first to break the story, citing sources close to the production. Per the outlet, director Jake Schreier and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige met with a number of candidates before ultimately narrowing the field down to Connor last week. A small group of actors reportedly tested for the part shortly after the July 4th holiday, with the studio going back and forth for weeks before landing on the 22-year-old British actor.
As is standard for reports at this stage, Marvel and representatives for Connor have not commented on the casting. The Hollywood Reporter independently confirmed that Connor is circling the role, describing him as being in the mix alongside Weaving and Sadie Sink as Marvel assembles its new mutant lineup.
Who Is Kit Connor?
Connor rose to international fame playing Nick Nelson in Netflix’s “Heartstopper,” a role he carried through the show’s run and into the recent finale film, “Heartstopper Forever.” Beyond that, he’s been building a notably varied resume: he appeared in Alex Garland’s war drama “Warfare,” and per Variety, he’s also attached to the upcoming film adaptation of the video game “Elden Ring.” ScreenRant notes that filming on the “Elden Ring” project wrapped on July 30, just weeks before this casting news broke.
Cyclops’ Legacy on Screen
Scott Summers has a long history in live-action X-Men films. James Marsden originated the role in Fox’s original trilogy and 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” while Tye Sheridan played a younger version of the character across the studio’s 2010s prequel films. Marsden is set to reprise Cyclops one more time in “Avengers: Doomsday,” due in theaters this December, alongside other returning Fox-era mutant actors like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.
That means, as Cosmic Book News points out, two different actors could effectively be playing Scott Summers within the same year — Marsden taking his bow in “Doomsday” this December, with Connor stepping in shortly after as the character is rebooted for the MCU.
Building the New Mutant Team
This report follows a summer of steady mutant-related casting news. Sadie Sink is already confirmed as Jean Grey, having debuted the role in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Samara Weaving has been widely reported as the studio’s choice for Emma Frost. With Cyclops now apparently locked in as well, ComicBookMovie and other outlets note that Marvel appears to be moving quickly to finalize its core X-Men roster.
Jake Schreier, who directed this year’s “Thunderbolts*,” is attached to helm the reboot. “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and “The Bear” co-showrunner Joanna Calo have been brought on to write the screenplay, fueling expectations of a more grounded, character-driven take on the property. The film marks Marvel Studios’ first crack at a standalone X-Men movie since Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox brought the mutant characters back under one roof.
What’s Next
No official confirmation has come from Marvel or Disney yet, and outlets like Gizmodo are treating this as strong trade reporting rather than a done deal. All eyes are now on Disney’s D23 fan event, running August 14–16, where Marvel is widely expected to make its mutant casting official.
