TheX-Menmovie seriesfollows the lives of mutants who all possess the X-gene that gives them their own unique powers. Thanks to the help of Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, the mutants unite at his school and learn to control their abilities and to only use their powers for good. On the other end of things, you have the villains led by Magneto, who wish to rid the world of humans so that mutants can live freely without restriction or prosecution. The franchise began with the firstX-Menfilm in 2000 and has spawned a number of sequels and spinoffs.
Update July 07, 2025: This article has been updated to include even more stars who turned down or were considered for parts in theX-Menfranchise.
Thanks toMarvel’s Stan Lee, theX-Menis a franchise with a great number of characters to choose from. With this comes the challenge of casting the mutants properly in each film installment. While some characters have only had one actor, like Wolverine, others have had a number of iterations, like the old and youngProfessor X portrayed by Patrick Stewartand James McAvoy, respectively. As such, there are a number of actors who were once considered for the roles of the mutants. Indeed, here’s a list of actors who were almost cast inX-Menmovies.
15Sigourney Weaver as Emma Frost
This may come as a shock to some, butSigourney Weaver, most known for her performance asRipley in theAlienfranchise, was originally considered for the role of Emma Frost. It was Bryan Singer’s wish, the director responsible for the very first twoX-Menfilms to have Weaver play the role of Emma Frost inX-Men: The Last Stand. Despite having her lined up for the role when Singer left theX-Menfranchise to pursue other directing opportunities, his departure brought a change in casting. While many love January Jones’ portrayal of Frost inX-Men: First Class, we can’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like to see Weaver as this powerful beauty.
14Viggo Mortensen as Wolverine
Before starring as Aragorn in the acclaimed fantasy trilogyThe Lord of the Rings,Viggo Mortensenwas one of the top contenders being considered for the role of Wolverine, and Brian Singer even showed the actor storyboards for the superhero flick. Mortensen ended up going to the meeting and bringing his son Henry along, who expressed his thoughts on the way the character was portrayed in the comics and his imposing appearance.
The Oscar-nominated star was also nervous to sign on for multiple films and ended up turning down Singer’s offer to play Wolverine, a decision Mortensen does not regret; hecommended Hugh Jackmanand stated, “I think he did great. I’m sure no one could imagine anyone doing it better than he did anyway.”
13Neil Patrick Harris as Nightcrawler
Neil Patrick Harrishas had numerous iconic television roles, famously portraying the titular teenage wonder inDoogie Howser, M.D.,and the suit-loving womanizer Barney Stinson inHow I Met Your Mother.The charismatic actor could have added another legendary character to his resume had he landed the role of Nightcrawler in 2003’sX2: X-Men United, with Harris auditioning for the part of the German mutant Kurt Wagner in the second installment of the franchise.
Harris reflected on missing out on the role,revealing to Variety,“I remember feeling insecure in my own skin at that time to be heroic and animalistic at the same time.” Alan Cumming was eventually cast as Nightcrawler, as he also spoke fluent German and knocked his audition out of the park.
12John Hurt as Magneto
The late SirJohn Hurt, most known for his unique voice and his Academy-Award nominated performance inThe Elephant Man,was considered for the role of Magneto in the originalX-Menfilm. Among other contenders, including the voice actor of Magneto inX-Men: The Animated Series, Hurt was the one that seemed most likely to get the role with decades of acting experience under his belt, that is until Sir Ian McKellen entered the picture.
While both actors had a great deal to offer for the role, McKellen won out in the end. That said, this was not the end of John Hurt’s attempt to enter the comic book world as he went on to play the role of Professor Trevor Broom inHellboy.
11Jim Caviezel as Cyclops
The Passion of the ChriststarJim Caviezelwas initially cast as Xavier’s second-in-command Scott Summers A.K.A. Cyclops, before he was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with the 2000 sci-fi thrillerFrequency.James Marsden delivered a knockout performance as the character, but there’s no denying Caviezel would have given it his all in the role with his silent and commanding strength on-screen.
Cavizel told IGNin 2004, “I was cast. It really happened really quickly. The role, Cyclops, was at the time between doing Cyclops and another film I made at the time,Frequency. I can’t remember. I was more involved in theFrequencyfilm than [X-Men].”
10Rachael Leigh Cook as Rogue
It’s hard to picture anyone apart from Anna Paquin playing the role of Rogue, whose powers send her into an angsty spiral. That said,Rachael Leigh CookfromShe’s All Thatwas heavily considered for the role Rogue, but she turned it down to “avoid acting on a green screen”. Cook wanted to be taken more seriously as an actress, and she thought that taking the role would not help her cause. Cook quickly realized her mistake, and while she hasn’t failed to get work over the years, taking the role inX-Menwould have helped her career to move in the right direction.
9Lucy Liu as Mystique
Lucy Liu’s career was soaring at the time that the firstX-Menfilm was conceived, jugglingShanghai NoonandCharlie’s Angels, which brought Liu a great deal of attention for her skills in action films. While Rebecca Romjin was eventually chosen for the role in the originalX-Men, fans are still grieving the loss of the potential to see Liu kick some major ass as Mystique. While Romjin and Jennifer Lawrence both did the character justice, it’s difficult not to wonder what Liu would have done differently had she been given the opportunity.
8Kevin Nash as Sabretooth
Sabretooth is a vicious lion-like mutant who is not afraid to rip you to shreds if he needs to. Making his first appearance inX-Men, Sabretooth is played by Canadian wrestler Tyler Mane, known for his huge presence. Another wrestler who was heavily considered for the role isKevin NashAKA Big Daddy Cool Diesel.
Related:Explained: Didn’t Professor X Die in X-Men: The Last Stand?
Unlike Mane, Nash never went on to do any major acting, primarily staying in his field of wrestling. This seemed to be the best move for Nash as he moved on to found the New World Order alongside Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. That said, we can’t help but wonder how different his career would be had he played the role of Sabretooth. Kevin Nash eventually did take on a role in a Marvel superhero project, where he played The Russian in 2004’sThe Punisher, which also featured X-Men alumni Rebecca Romiijn and Ben Foster.
7Dougray Scott as Wolverine
Dougray Scottwas actually cast as Wolverine back in 1999 before the hunt for the butt-kicking hero resumed once again, leading to Hugh Jackman being cast three weeks into the production of the movie. Despite being eager and excited to take on the powerful and gruff character, Scott was forced to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with his other filmMission: Impossible 2.He alsoended up seriously injuring himself while on the set of the Tom Cruise-led action movie, damaging his shoulder while filming an action-fueled motorcycle stunt that caused the shoot to go longer than expected, causing him to back out.
6Alice Eve as Emma Frost
X-Men: First Classhad a very quick turnaround from when 20th Century Fox announced it, giving them 13 months to make the release date. This meant the film was cast very quickly in 2010, and one of the names that popped up early on wasAlice Eve, who just starred in the comedyShe’s Out of My LeagueandSex and the City 2.Eve was reported to have been the top choice for the role of Emma Frost, but that quickly was denied, and the part instead went to January Jones fromMad Men. While some reports said she was cast and dropped out, Eve has said she was never cast and said it was only wild internet speculation.
Eve later went on to star in films likeMen in Black 3,Star Trek: Into Darkness, andBefore We Go. The same year thatX-Men: First Classopened in theaters, she had an important role in the final season of the hit HBO seriesEntourage. Eve also joined the MCU as Mary Walker, known as the villain Typhoid Mary, onIron Fist.
