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Marvel Officially Set Up This 10/10 Storyline With Its X-Men Casting

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Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Marvel Studios is moving full steam ahead with its upcoming X-Men reboot, as three of the iconic mutant heroes have either entered or are set to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First up is Jean Grey (Sadie Sink), who was introduced as an antagonist in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Next, Marvel announced that it had cast Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, the telepath better known as the White Queen. Now, a new report says that Heartstopper alum Kit Connor is the frontrunner for Cyclops. These casting choices hint that director Jake Schreier is looking to take inspiration from one of the most popular X-Men storylines of the modern era, Astonishing X-Men.

The 5 Coolest X-Men Mutant Powers

Written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by the late John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men was a return to form for the X-Men. It brought fan-favorite Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, back into the fold. It saw the X-Men returning to wearing more traditional superhero outfits after Grant Morrison had them donning black leather for New X-Men. More importantly, the biggest shake-up saw Cyclops and Emma Frost leading the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, effectively signaling a new era in X-Men comics. If Schreier is drawing from these comics, he could deliver a version of the X-Men that fans and newcomers have yet to see on the big screen.

Adapting ‘Astonishing X-Men’ Could Make Marvel’s X-Men Stand Out in One Key Way


What makes Astonishing X-Men such a standout among X-Men comics is how it manages to push the franchise forward while still staying true to its core concepts. The very first storyline, “Gifted,” features a “cure” that will strip mutants of their powers, raising debates around the halls and within the X-Men themselves as Beast contemplates taking the cure himself. It also introduces Ord, an alien warrior who created the cure as he fears a prophecy that one of the X-Men will destroy his homeworld. The fact that the opening arc managed to touch on the cosmic elements of classic X-Men stories like “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and the underlying metaphor of being feared for your differences that fuels the X-Men makes it a great read, and the perfect foundation for a new X-Men movie.
In casting Cyclops and Emma Frost, the X-Men reboot doesn’t just signal that it’s taking cues from Astonishing X-Men, but that it’s separating itself from 20th Century Fox’s take on the mutant heroes by shifting the focus to a different group of mutants. Most of the storylines in Fox’s X-Men movies tended to revolve around Wolverine, Magneto, or Charles Xavier; if Marvel Studios is taking those three off the board, it frees up Schreier to focus on other characters and remind people why they’re so iconic. Cyclops is a prime example of this, as X-Men ’97 has reminded fans why Xavier chose him to lead the X-Men.

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Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality QuizWhich MCU Hero Are You?Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap

Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

🕷️Spider-Man

😈Daredevil

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🤖Iron Man

💀Punisher

Thor

🛡️Cap

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FIND YOUR HERO →

01

What drives you to do what’s right?Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can’t protect themselves.BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark.CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I’ve learned that others depend on me now.DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay.EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms.FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

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NEXT QUESTION →

02

It’s 2 AM. Where are you?Your answer says more about you than you’d think.

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.BRunning rooftops in Hell’s Kitchen, listening for trouble.CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby.DStaking out a target I’ve been tracking for three weeks.ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand.FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn’t sleep.

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NEXT QUESTION →

03

How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?Every hero has a method. What’s yours?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again.BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside.CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins.DMake sure they don’t escape a third time. Permanently.EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end.FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it’s hard.

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04

How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am.BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face.COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I’d do it again.DI’m a ghost. The less people know about me, the better.EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There’s no hiding it.FI don’t hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

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NEXT QUESTION →

05

You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that?Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day.BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting.CI buried myself in work for years. I’m only recently learning to face it.DIt transformed me completely. I’m not the same person I was before.EWith warrior’s grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have.FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

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06

What’s your role when working with a team?Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up.BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most.CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation.DI don’t do teams. I’m more effective operating solo, on my terms.EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle.FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

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07

Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.

AClearly — I don’t kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly.BI try to hold the line, but I’ve come terrifyingly close to crossing it.CPractically — I do what’s necessary to protect people, including hard calls.DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won’t admit it.EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic.FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

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08

When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like?The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends.BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets.CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I’m sleeping enough.DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions.ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary.FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

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09

What keeps you up at night?Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.

AThe people I couldn’t save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow.BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too.CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough.DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I’ve made my choices.EWhether I’m truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect.FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

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10

The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything.BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going.CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan.DI don’t accept that it’s lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore.ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me.FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it’s not over.

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REVEAL MY HERO →

Your Hero Has Been IdentifiedYour MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

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Queens, New York

🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
  • You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
  • You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
  • Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
  • Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

Hell’s Kitchen, New York

😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
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  • You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
  • You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
  • Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
  • Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.

Stark Industries, Malibu

🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
  • You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
  • You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
  • Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
  • You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.

New York City

💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
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  • You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
  • You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
  • Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
  • Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.

Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms

⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
  • You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
  • You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
  • Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
  • You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers

🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
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  • You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
  • Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
  • Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
  • In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

The ‘X-Men’ Reboot Crew Might Revamp One Key Relationship

It’s no surprise that Astonishing X-Men might be one of Jake Schreier’s inspirations, as he and the rest of the crew on the X-Men reboot have expressed their love for the comics on multiple occasions. Perhaps the biggest fan is screenwriter Lee Sung Jin, who revealed that he was a massive fan of Gambit in addition to growing up with the X-Men:

“I’m such a huge fan of X-Men. My dad was in town for my daughter’s birthday recently. My mom and dad both were, and I told him the news about X-Men, and he was like, ‘That’s the good one, you know.’ I have such fond memories of me and my dad, Saturday morning, every morning, waking up, I think it was 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. central time, and we’d watch every single episode, read the comics, and I was a huge Gambit fan growing up, so the love is very strong.

Lee’s X-Men fandom means he can offer a great solution to a major obstacle in the upcoming reboot: how Cyclops and Emma interact. Most fans know about the duo’s romantic relationship in the comics, but given that Samara Weaving is 12 years older than Kit Connor, they probably won’t see that relationship forming on screen. Whatever Lee, Schreier, and the rest of the crew do with the story, it’s clear that they understand what makes the X-Men tick, and why Astonishing X-Men is a perfect storyline to draw inspiration from.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Specifications

Release Date
2026-07-31
Rating
PG-13
Genres
Superhero (Genre), Action (Genre), Adventure (Genre)
Runtime
145 Minutes
Cast
Tom Holland (Person), Zendaya (Person), Jacob Batalon (Person), Mark Ruffalo (Person), Jon Bernthal (Person), Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III (Person), Michael Mando (Person), Tramell Tillman (Person), Liza Colón-Zayas (Person), Sadie Sink (Person), Melanie Scrofano (Person)
Director
Destin Daniel Cretton (Person)
Writers
Chris McKenna (Person), Erik Sommers (Person), Steve Ditko (Person), Stan Lee (Person)
Producers
Amy Pascal (Person), Kevin Feige (Person), Rachel O’Connor (Person), Avi Arad (Person)
Prequel(s)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (Movie, Movies/TV), Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie, Movies/TV), Spider-Man: No Way Home (Movie, Movies/TV)
Franchise(s)
Marvel Cinematic Universe (Franchise), Spider-Man (Franchise)

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