When X-Men: Apocalypse premiered, it re-introduced audiences to popular characters such as Jean (Sophie Turner), Ororo (Alexandra Shipp), and Scott (Tye Sheridan). Previously brought to life on the silver screen in Fox's first X-Men trilogy, the series set up by X-Men: First Class allowed for these characters to be re-cast and for the franchise to go through a soft reboot. Now, with the upcoming X Men: Dark Phoenix, it looks as though another comic fan favorite will also be joining the series after a long hiatus from the films.
Omega Underground recently found several audition videos from young actors all auditioning for roles in Dark Phoenix, codenamed Teen Spirit. Two of the actors, Rarmian Newton and Paul Mescal, are auditioning for roles called Shane and Sam, which might be codenames. However, Billions actress Alexa Swinton is auditioning for the role of "Marie." Now, this might be a codename, but Marie is the real name of Rogue, first played by Anna Paquin. Swinton would be the perfect age to step up as a young Rogue in Dark Phoenix, which is set in the 1990's, and it's very likely that that is the role that she is currently auditioning for.
It would be very surprising if they did not re-introduce Rogue in the newer X Men films. Rogue is an incredibly popular character, and fans have been clamoring for an interpretation more in line with the comics, such as having the character be a version of Rogue who's more of a fighter than Paquin's role was. Given how well Apocalypse portrayed Jean, Ororo, and Scott - indeed, they are the best part of the film - it is likely that Rogue would also be handled with the same care.
The only worry is whether or not the already crowded film will then sideline Rogue, especially in light of the way Jubilee (Lana Condor) was sidelined in Apocalypse. Swinton's audition tape surfaced along with Newton's and Mescal's, which means there are three new characters they plan on introducing, regardless if one is Rogue. We have Xavier (James Macavoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) who will also no doubt be involved, plus the return of Jubilee and potentially Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as well. That's a big ensemble for one film, and so Rogue might be more of a cameo role than anything else. Either that, or they'll sideline another character in favor of bringing in these new characters.
Hopefully, the creative team will have learned from previous films' mistakes and will not sideline any characters in favor of others. You can watch Swinton's audition, as well as the audition tapes of her fellow actors, on Omega Underground. Screen Rant will bring you updates on Dark Phoenix's casting as it is released.
Source: Omega Underground