MCU X-Men reboot reportedly finds Iceman actor as new cast takes shape

Wang linked to Iceman role

Deadline reported that Ben Wang is circling the part of Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman. Disney and Marvel Studios have not confirmed or denied the report. Gabriel LaBelle, Jackson Kelly and Rhenzy Feliz were also reportedly in the running. Feliz previously played Alex Wilder in the three-season Runaways series.

Wang has appeared in Karate Kid: Legends and The Long Walk, and stars in American Born Chinese on Disney+. He is also set to join The Hunger Games franchise in Sunrise on the Reaping.

An ensemble taking shape

The film is directed by Jake Schreier. Sadie Sink is set to play Jean Grey, Kit Connor Cyclops, Asa Germann Angel and Maya Boyd Storm; Peter Claffey is reportedly set to play Beast.

Samara Weaving has been cast as Emma Frost, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, and Inde Navarette as Rogue. Adam Driver will play Mister Sinister, marking Nathaniel Essex’s live-action debut.

Shawn Ashmore previously played Iceman in the original X-Men films. His last appearance as Bobby Drake was in 2014’s Days of Future Past.

A new phase for Marvel

The X-Men reboot is planned as a major Phase 7 title, with story details still under wraps. Principal photography is reportedly expected to start sometime in 2027. The MCU’s Multiverse Saga is scheduled to conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a 2025 interview that the film would lead to a franchise reset.

Feige described the approach as a reset and a singular timeline, and said the X-Men would be where that change happens next. He also characterized mutant stories as being about young people who feel different and do not belong.