X-Men’s Magneto rumor mill adds Matt Smith, after Henry Cavill and Lee Pace

Marvel used D23 to lock in the core team for its new X-Men movie and plant a flag on the calendar, but the franchise ’s most complicated villain is still unclaimed. The studio confirmed Adam Driver as Mister Sinister while leaving Magneto — Erik Lehnsherr himself — for another day.

• Sadie Sink
• Kit Connor
• Christopher Abbott
• Samara Weaving
• Inde Navarrette
• Maya Boyd
• Adam Driver — Mister Sinister

X-Men is slated to hit theaters May 5, 2028.

Where Magneto stands

Into that vacuum steps a fresh round of rumor: the X account Main Middle Man claimed Matt Smith has been in talks to play Magneto. According to that account, discussions have happened but haven’t moved forward, and nothing is signed. Earlier chatter had linked Smith to Mister Sinister — a role that now belongs to Driver after the D23 reveal.

Smith’s name has circled Marvel before. He was reportedly in active negotiations to play Reed Richards in Fantastic Four before the part went to Pedro Pascal . He also dipped a toe in Marvel-adjacent waters with Sony’s Morbius.

The Magneto short list

Smith isn’t the only name buzzing online. Fan-favorite candidates who keep popping up in speculation include:

• Lee Pace
• Jensen Ackles
• Bill Skarsgård
• Henry Cavill

None of those possibilities have been acknowledged by Marvel, but they’ve all drawn enthusiastic responses across social media as the studio zeroes in on its new Master of Magnetism.

Why Smith fits the helmet

As Daemon Targaryen on House of the Dragon , Smith turns stillness into threat — the kind of restrained authority Magneto demands. He’s comfortable living in moral gray zones too, a key to making Erik Lehnsherr’s hardline worldview feel rooted in trauma and conviction rather than cartoon villainy.

Marvel has not announced a Magneto casting or timeline for that reveal. For now, the confirmed ensemble is set, and X-Men is dated for May 5, 2028.