After battling it out in the arena in “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” and leading the latest “Karate Kid” installment, Ben Wang is circling another major franchise: Marvel Studios’ “X-Men” reboot.
Wang is in negotiations to play Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, who was one of the founding X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in “The X-Men #1” in September 1963.
If the deal closes, Wang would join a sprawling cast that features Sadie Sink (as Jean Grey), Kit Connor (as Cyclops), Samara Weaving (as Emma Frost), Inde Navarrette (as Rogue), Maya Boyd (as Storm), Asa Germann (as Angel), Christopher Abbott (as Professor Charles Xavier) and Adam Driver (as Mr. Sinister).
Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige revealed the new “X-Men” cast at the D23 convention in August, after Sink’s Jean Grey debuted in the blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” The upcoming movie reboots the mutant team for the first time since the 2019 Fox film “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” and for their first outing under the Marvel Studios umbrella. Jake Schreier, who oversaw last year’s “Thunderbolts,” is directing the film from a script by Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo. “X-Men” is set for release on May 5, 2028.
In “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Wang plays Wyatt Callow, one of the tributes from District 12 alongside Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada), who is the focus of the “Hunger Games” prequel movie. Wang has also starred in Lionsgate’s “The Long Walk,” Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of the Stephen King classic, as well as Will Ropp’s coming-of-age comedy “Brian,” David Wain’s comedy “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass,” the 2024 “Mean Girls” reboot, and the Disney+ projects “American Born Chinese” and “Chang Can Dunk.” He is repped by Stewart Talent, Artists First and Schreck Rose Dapello.
Deadline first reported Wang’s potential involvement in the project. Marvel Studios could not be immediately reached for comment.
About The Author
