'X-Men: First Class' Casting Call: We See Rihanna And Others As The Junior Heroes

Gossip Girl' stars Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley would also fit — plus, they have an in with the writer.
By Jennifer Vineyard



There are two ways "Gossip Girl" creator Josh Schwartz can go with his just-announced film featuring younger versions of the X-Men: stick with the world the film franchise has already created or modify it to draw from the Marvel comic series of the same title, "X-Men: First Class."

A third (but trickier) possibility would be to combine the two directions, using the characters as established in the films but adapting them to the story from the comics.

All this back-and-forth isn't just fanboy/girl talk; it becomes necessary for casting "X-Men: First Class." If the film just focuses on the adventures of junior X-Men as established in the last film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," they have a team ready to go. But should the filmmakers want to steer closer to the comics, then those parts need to be recast, because Iceman and Angel would become contemporaries of Cyclops, Jean Grey and Beast — and all of them would need to be younger. Sorry, Kelsey.

"You couldn't use Kelsey Grammer as Beast," "First Class" writer Jeff Parker said. "He's supposed to be, like, 20."

Even though Parker would be thrilled if the film focused on the characters as established by his comic, he said they shouldn't feel beholden to his work. "To me, the heart of it is that young people who were different found others like themselves and for once, they didn't feel like freaks," Parker said.

Which means the characters could be anyone. It could be Kitty Pryde, Angel, Iceman and Colossus from "X-Men: The Last Stand" (and you could keep Ellen Page, Ben Foster, Shawn Ashmore and Daniel Cudmore). It could be all twentysomething versions of Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman and Angel. Or it could be a combo of characters from the "First Class" comic and the movies — so you could drop Angel and make room for Storm.

Here are our suggestions for whichever way the filmmakers decide to go:

Jean Grey

Famke Janssen is too old; Haley Ramm (who played a teen Jean) is too young. They need someone in between, and that someone is right under Josh Schwartz's nose on "Gossip Girl": Leighton Meester, otherwise known as Blair Waldorf. She'd be believable as someone who could use a little help handling her extraordinary position, which sometimes gets her into trouble.

Runners-Up: Kristen Stewart, Natalia Tena, Ashley Greene, Mischa Barton

Cyclops

Tim Pocock is already playing a young Cyclops in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (though how he fits in that story, which is supposed to take place 17 years before they meet, we have no clue). So for continuity's sake, let's keep him. Besides, with that protective visor, no one would recognize him anyway.

Runners-Up: Cam Gigandet (who Schwartz knows from his "O.C." days), Bryan Greenberg

Beast

Beast doesn't always have to be blue — earlier in life, his mutation allowed him to be a little more human-looking. Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") may not be as young as needed, or as bulky, but he's got the simian-like cranium and the voice for the job.

Runners-Up: Nick Frost (has the bulk), Emile Hirsch (even if he is a bit short)

Iceman

If Schwartz wants to continue raiding his "Gossip Girl" cast, Penn Badgley already has the nice-but-boring act down pat. Let's just not go to Iceman's home and see his dysfunctional family on this outing, though, OK?

Runners-Up: Matthew Bomer (who Schwartz knows from "Chuck"), Sean Faris

Angel

Ben Foster really didn't get enough screen time in his turn as Angel, but since he's shown to be part of the team only after everyone else, it wouldn't make sense to keep him. Aaron Staton ("Mad Men") is a good look-alike.

Runners-Up: Jamie Bell, Rupert Friend, Adam Gregory

Storm

She has to be beautiful, kind, but in possession of deadly powers. If Rihanna decides she's ready to act, this is the breakout role for her. Who else could compete with Halle Berry?

Runner-Up: Rutina Wesley ("True Blood") would stir up a Storm with extra depth


Rihanna established her dance-pop credentials in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate such hit potential in subsequent years (e.g., "S.O.S." in 2006; "Umbrella" in 2007; "Disturbia" in 2008). However, it was the singer's third album, Good Girl Gone...
Rihanna established her dance-pop credentials in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate such hit potential in subsequent years (e.g., "S.O.S." in 2006; "Umbrella" in 2007; "Disturbia" in 2008). However, it was the singer's third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, that made her a full-fledged international pop star with a regular presence atop the charts. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, she exhibited a certain star quality as a young child, often winning beauty and talent contests. Because she lived on the fairly remote island of Barbados in the West Indies, however, she never foresaw the sort of stardom that would later befall her.

That stardom came courtesy of a fateful meeting with Evan Rogers. The New Yorker was vacationing in Barbados with his wife, a native of the island, when he was introduced to Rihanna. Rogers had spent years producing pop hits for such superstars as *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Laura Pausini, and Rod Stewart, and he offered the talented Rihanna a chance to record. Along with Rogers' production partner, Carl Sturken (the other half of Syndicated Rhythm Productions), Rihanna recorded several demos that sparked the interest of the Carter Administration -- that is, the newly appointed Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. This led to an audition, and Rihanna both received and accepted an on-the-spot offer to sign with Def Jam.

Come summer 2005, Def Jam timely rolled out "Pon de Replay," the lively leadoff single from Music of the Sun. Produced almost entirely by Rogers and Sturken, the song synthesized Caribbean rhythms with urban-pop songwriting. "Pon de Replay" caught fire almost immediately, climbing all the way to number two on The Billboard Hot 100 and contesting the half-summer reign of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" atop the chart. The debut album spawned one other hit, "If It's Lovin' That You Want," which also broke the Top 40. Rihanna's follow-up effort, A Girl Like Me, saw even greater success and spawned three sizeable singles: a chart-topper ("S.O.S.") and two Top Ten hits ("Unfaithful," "Break It Off").

Rihanna's third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), continued her success while signaling a change of direction. Whereas her past two albums had been imbalanced -- often weighed down by faceless balladry and canned Caribbean-isms -- Good Girl Gone Bad was a first-rate dance-pop album, stacked with several chart-topping singles and boasting collaborations with Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Timbaland, and StarGate. The lead single, "Umbrella," shot to number one, as did "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia.".
Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide