ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) 鈥� will make a long-anticipated entrance into the to play super villain Mister Sinister, and breakout star will play Rogue in ‘s forthcoming film reboot of 鈥淴-Men.鈥�
Driver and Navarette were among the new cast members announced Friday night at Disney’s D23 convention by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, along with Driver’s 鈥淕irls鈥� castmate Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier and Maya Boyd as Storm. The film is slated for release in May 2028.
The announcements were the biggest news to emerge from Disney Entertainment’s D23 presentation that also brought updates on its forthcoming titles and a song-and-dance that went sideways from the stars of 鈥淔rozen 3.鈥�
Driver’s name was often rumored and often dismissed as an 鈥淴-Men鈥� possibility. Many thought he’d be playing the antihero Magneto. The rest of the cast appeared on stage at the Honda Center arena in Anaheim, California, while Driver appeared on a big screen.
鈥淜evin and I had been talking for years about my joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I think we finally found the perfect film,鈥� Driver told the crowd of 12,000 via video. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 very excited to be playing the role of Maaagneto!鈥� he said before pausing, taking it back and saying, 鈥渆ven better, Nathaniel Millbury,鈥� an alias for Mister Sinister.
Also on stage were previously announced cast members Samara Weaving, who is playing Emma Frost; Kit Connor, who is playing Scott 鈥淐yclops鈥� Summers; and Sadie Sink, whose role as Jean Grey was revealed by her appearance in this summer鈥檚 Marvel megahit 鈥淪pider-Man: Brand New Day.鈥�
The castmates were as new to each other as they were to the fans.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e just met backstage for the very first time,鈥� Feige said.
Navarette had also been heavily rumored to have a role after fast becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors for her striking performance as a spellbound girlfriend in the indie horror hit 鈥淥bsessed鈥� earlier this year.
The 鈥淴-Men鈥� joining the MCU became possible with Disney’s 2019 acquisition of Fox’s film studio.
Director Jake Schreier is heading the reboot. and two writers from prestige TV 鈥� 鈥淏eef鈥� creator Lee Sung Jin and 鈥淭he Bear鈥� co-showrunner Joanna Calo 鈥� are working on the script.
Gosling cosplays as Kade Auberon in ‘Star Wars’ presentation.
Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy headlined the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� part of the night with a presentation on their film 鈥淪tar Wars: Starfighter,鈥� which is getting a May, 2027 release.
Gosling’s appearance on stage was preceded by clips of him as a child cast member of 鈥淭he Mickey Mouse Club.鈥�
鈥淚 owe a lot to Disney,” Gosling said. “Had they not looked far and wide and come to my hometown I would not be here today. Now, 30 years later, I’m back and it’s changing my life again.鈥�
Shawn Levy put on Gosling a leather jacket with his 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� character Kade Auberon’s skull-and-bones symbol.
Gosling described Auberon as 鈥渁 guy from the wrong side of the galaxy, whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built,鈥� before showing clips from the film.
Disney announced earlier this summer at its San Diego Comic-Con presentation that Gosling will play the character Ghost Rider in the MCU, first in a 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� sequel, then in a 鈥淕host Rider鈥� film that Levy will also direct. Both are set for release in 2028.
鈥淪tar Wars: Ahsoka鈥� star Rosario Dawson also appeared to promote the Season 2 return of her Disney+ series, as did Hayden Christensen, who will return as a force-ghost version of her mentor Anakin Skywalker.
More Marvel with classic stars Downey, Evans, Atwell and Bettany
Marvel veterans also took the D23 stage as past and future 鈥淎vengers鈥� stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Hayley Atwell introduced a new trailer for 鈥淎vengers: Doomsday,鈥� to be released Dec. 18.
The footage shows Downey, now playing Dr. Doom having shed his Iron Man suit, beating back Chris Hemsworth鈥檚 Thor and his hammer, and shows Evans, who is returning as Captain America, holding a baby. And it shows Ian McKellan as a long-haired, haggard, struggling version of Magneto.
Hugh Jackman appeared on the big screen to tell Feige he’s willing to appear in 鈥淒oomsday鈥� as Wolverine. Whether he’ll be in the movie has led to heated fan speculation. His answer wasn’t definitive, but most bets are now switching to yes.
Fans also got a glimpse of the soon-to-drop Disney+ series 鈥淰isionquest.鈥� Paul Bettany, who returns to his Marvel role as Vision, and James Spader, who returns to playing Ultron, showed a trailer with oddly human and ordinary versions of their cybernetic characters. Bettany said it鈥檚 been a pleasure to play multiple versions of Vision, who has 鈥渞ather inconveniently died several times.鈥� But, he said, 鈥淚’m told in the Marvel Universe that no one is ever really dead.鈥�
鈥淔rozen 3鈥� stars serenade fans, sort of
Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel sang an eerie new arrangement of 鈥淔rozen Heart鈥� from their first film playing princess sisters Elsa and Anna as they introduced the forthcoming
Or they tried to, anyway. The segment was plagued with malfunctioning audio, video, and a set of doors that failed to open.
They ad-libbed their way through it like pros.
鈥淪hould we go back and try it again?鈥� Menzel asked at the song’s end.
Bell described for the crowd everything that was supposed to happen and said, 鈥淵ou guys were gonna freak out.鈥�
They found their way back to the script.
鈥淒oesn’t it kind of feel like the world of Frozen is a bit different?鈥� Bell said. Menzel added, 鈥淢aybe a little bit more mysterious?鈥�
鈥淵es, OK, we’re back on track,鈥� Bell said, to big laughs.
Their castmate Josh Gad followed with a rendition of 鈥淥ooh, Samantha,鈥� a love song his snowman character Olaf will sing in 鈥淔rozen 3.鈥�
The night’s other big musical set pieces included songs and dance from the cast of 鈥淭he Greatest Showman,鈥� the stage musical adaptation of the 2017 Jackman film that is premiering on London’s West End next year.
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