Kit Connor, best known for playing Nick Nelson in Netflix’s “Heartstopper,” is reportedly set to become Scott Summers in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot.
Marvel’s long-awaited X-Men reboot has found its Cyclops. According to multiple entertainment outlets, including Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Kit Connor has landed the role of Scott Summers — the visor-wearing, optic-blast-shooting founding member and longtime field leader of the X-Men.
The Casting News
Sources say Connor met with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and director Jake Schreier (“Thunderbolts*”) before being selected for the role. Reports indicate a small group of actors tested for various X-Men parts following the July 4th holiday, with Connor ultimately winning out.
Connor wasn’t the only name in the running. Drew Starkey (“Outer Banks”) had previously been linked to the role, and other actors reportedly considered included Cooper Hoffman, Harris Dickinson, and Jack Champion, before Marvel landed on Connor.
Marvel and representatives for Connor have not yet publicly confirmed the casting.
Building Out the New X-Men
Cyclops joins a growing roster for the reboot. Samara Weaving (“Ready or Not”) has been reported as the studio’s pick for Emma Frost, and Sadie Sink has already been introduced as Jean Grey in the MCU via “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Other names have been floated for additional roles, including Inde Navarrette, who has expressed interest in playing Mystique, and Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny, who have been rumored for Beast and Rogue, respectively.
Jake Schreier is directing the project, with “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and writer Joanna Calo working on the script.
Who Is Cyclops?
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Cyclops first appeared in “X-Men #1” in 1963. As one of the founding members of Charles Xavier’s team, Scott Summers is typically portrayed as the group’s disciplined tactical leader, firing concussive optic blasts from his eyes — the result of childhood trauma he suffered in a plane crash caused by an alien attack.
The role has previously been played by James Marsden across the original “X-Men” trilogy, “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and — as recently confirmed in trailers — a reprisal in “Avengers: Doomsday.”
A Breakout Moment for Connor
For Connor, the role marks his highest-profile part to date. The British actor broke out as Nick Nelson in “Heartstopper,” which recently concluded with the film “Heartstopper Forever.” He’s also appeared in A24’s “Warfare,” the Elton John biopic “Rocketman,” and HBO’s “His Dark Materials,” and has an upcoming slate that includes an adaptation of “Elden Ring,” Andrew Haigh’s “A Long Winter,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Reflecting on wrapping “Heartstopper” earlier this year, Connor wrote on Instagram that the experience had been “very good,” adding he was “so thankful” for the story and the people behind it.
What’s Next
Marvel has not announced an official title, release date, or full cast list for the X-Men reboot. With the studio’s Multiverse Saga wrapping up via “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” the X-Men reboot is expected to help usher in the next chapter of the MCU. More casting news — and likely official confirmation from Marvel — is expected in the coming weeks.
