The Marvel Cinematic Universe is drawing nearer and nearer to a turning point in the franchise: the arrival of the mutants. After three years of speculation, it seems that fans can finally expect their favorite mutants to begin arriving in the mega-franchise after this May's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The idea of a rebooted cast of mutants has proven exciting for many fans, who have taken to Reddit in order to propose their own fan castings for their favorite comic book characters. One such mutant happens to be the shapeshifting Mystique, who, after several major storylines in Fox's franchise, seems an inevitable addition to the MCU's widening cast list.
Abbey Lee Kershaw
While putting together their own full cast list for the X-Men and Mutant Brotherhood in the MCU, Reddit user startorrids drops an interesting choice for the shapeshifting Mystique in Abbey Lee Kershaw. The Redditor invited readers to "look at her eyes and tell me that isn't enough," alluding to the actress's resemblance to Mystique's signature glowing eyes.
Kershaw is a relatively unknown actress at an early stage in her career, fresh off appearances in M. Night Shyamalan's Old and the recently canceled Lovecraft Country. The Australian actress does perfectly fall in the range of notoriety that Marvel tends to hire in, someone who is recognizable but not yet synonymous with any one role, which could make her a perfect fit for this brand-new cast of mutants.
Lesley-Ann Brandt
Redditor Zaysairpod59 created a thread proposing that actress Lesley-Ann Brandt take on the coveted role of Mystique. The post has received generally positive feedback from other users, including one, Jordan-Curran, who wrote that they "could see that" casting choice play out.
Brandt has had a number of recurring roles on popular television series, including a brief stint as the comic book villain Copperhead in Gotham. Her work in the superhero realm also extends to her role as Maze in Lucifer, another DC entity. Given her long history working with DC, Brandt has certainly built up a resume that would grab the attention of their competitors at Marvel as well.
Lili Reinhart
In a fully fleshed-out fan-casting list including Gary Oldman as Professor X, Amy Adams as Jean Grey, and Henry Cavill as Cyclops, Redditor tahrens50 also went on to suggest that Riverdale's Lili Reinhart take on the role of Mystique for the MCU reboot.
Though best known for her work as Betty Cooper in the CW's Riverdale, Reinhart has recently been expanding her acting career, branching out into different genres. The actress attempted a debut in the action scene in the 2019 reboot of Charlie's Angels, with hints at a possible appearance in a sequel, though the likelihood of such a film was quickly dashed by the reboot's failure at the box office. The MCU's X-Men reboot could be a second chance for Reinhardt to break into the action scene.
Rhea Seehorn
Redditor NaiadoftheSea remarks that Better Caul Saul's Rhea Seehorn could make "an amazing Mystique." The user goes on to comment on the actress's "amazingly commanding presence" and "incredible range," which they feel would make for a "much more comic accurate adaptation of Mystique."
Seehorn has certainly proven her acting chops in the Breaking Bad spinoff, shining in her character of Kim Wexler. The similarly morally ambiguous character of Mystique would fit her into the actress's wheelhouse quite nicely and could be a great next step for Seehorn after Better Caul Saul ends.
Evan Rachel Wood
Redditor ElementalMagic2212 provides their own cast list for the MCU's version of each mutant, indicating that, while they would be "happy with lesser-known actors," their all-star wish list for the character of Mystique would be Evan Rachel Wood.
Evan Rachel Wood has had a long and celebrated career in Hollywood, receiving considerable praise for her role in Westworld, where she has shown off her talent in portraying characters capable of extreme feats of violence and cruelty, something that may be necessary if the MCU presents a more villainous Mystique, as is the case in most comics.
Claudia Jessie
"CLAUDIA JESSIE!" declares Reddit user Slylizardcue quite excitedly after being prompted to provide their own fan cast for the MCU's rebooted Mystique. Jessie may be best known to most audiences for her role in the hit Netflix original series Bridgerton, which recently premiered its second season.
Like many of the MCU's new hires, Claudia Jessie is an up-and-coming actress with plenty of potential for a long and fruitful career in Hollywood. Though the British actress hasn't appeared in many action films, nor any comic book properties, she can certainly bring the more character-driven stories to life should she be cast as one of Marvel's most complex characters.
Ana De Armas
One name being thrown around to play the blue-hued mutant is Deep Water star, Ana de Armas. Commenting on another Redditor's post containing their own picks for X-Men cast members, Ok_Effort_2072 writes that they "would love to see Ana [de Armas] as Mystique."
Though some fans would prefer to see de Armas leap to the DC side of superhero fandom in order to play Poison Ivy in The Batman 2, Ana de Armas is an obvious pick for the character of Mystique as well. The actress is experiencing a renaissance of sorts with her films over the last several years, with appearances in Knives Out, Blade Runner 2049, and No Time To Die rocketing her into stardom at breakneck speeds. Casting de Armas would certainly bring plenty of positive attention to the MCU's reboot of the character, something that will be highly necessary given the character's frequent and prominent film appearances in the Fox franchise.
Natalie Dormer
RichyWoo has an interesting theory regarding Mystique's introduction into the MCU, suggesting that she's been around much longer than audiences may think. They write "I think that they should cast Natalie Dormer, not just because she would smash playing the character, but also because they could use her brief appearance in the first Captain America film as a plot point."
Dormer's fanbase is certainly passionate about earning the actress a more prominent role in a superhero film, with many also lobbying for her to play the Enchantress. Nevertheless, the prospect of her cameo in The First Avenger leading to an expanding role in the franchise is certainly an interesting one, though provisions would have to be made to explain her existence in a time period set decades before the present-day MCU.
Jodie Comer
In a popular and well-received series of fan-castings, which includes Mark Rylance as Professor X, Milo Gibson as Wolverine, and Viggo Mortensen as Magneto, Redditor Sudden_Scholar647 also suggests Free Guy's Jodie Comer as a prospective candidate to portray the MCU's Mystique.
Comer has had plenty of iconic roles in film and television, though her critically proclaimed role of Villanelle in Killing Eve is perhaps the best indicator of how great she would be in the part. Her experience in playing such a dangerous and vindictive villain would certainly inform her portrayal of the similarly villainous Mystique.
Léa Seydoux
Praising French actress Léa Seydoux's work in the video game Death Stranding, calling the actress "amazing," Reddit user FoxHoundBridges goes on to write that they "think she could do a great version of Mystique."
Seydoux, best known for her role as Madeline Swann in Daniel Craig's final two James Bond films, is certainly no stranger to playing the villain. The actress has made dripping villainous turns in both Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol as the assassin Sabine Moreau and as the callous leader of the "loners" in The Lobster. With her name gaining increasing traction in Hollywood, Seydoux could be a fantastic choice for the casting department at Marvel Studios when it comes to selecting the perfect rebooted Mystique.