EXCLUSIVE: A former X-Men star is very excited about Marvel’s new reboot.
After the Disney and Fox merger in 2019, the studio steadily began laying plans for the proper introduction of mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began with everything from Disney+’s Ms. Marvel to The Marvels and Deadpool & Wolverine building those bridges. The official X-Men reboot film kicked off in early 2025 when Thunderbolts*‘s Jake Schreier was brought on to direct, and has since amassed a cast that includes Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, among others.
As the roster continues to build, Amber Midthunder has now addressed the possibility of returning for the MCU’s X-Men reboot. In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns for her work in Mike Flanagan’s Carrie series, Midthunder, who previously made her franchise debut with the acclaimed Legion series, expressed having “so much affection” for her character, particularly given it “was my first big job,” and beamed at having “such a great time getting to work so closely with Bill [Irwin].”
That being said, Midthunder indicated that she’s had no talks to return for the new X-Men film, sharing that she’s “really excited and curious to see where the new round” of the iconic Marvel team goes, particularly as she is a “very big X-Men fan.”
Before becoming an instant household name with her turn as the Predator-fighting Comanche warrior Naru in Prey, Midthunder secured her first series regular role with Noah Hawley’s Legion, starring as Kerry Loudermilk, a mutant who shares a body with Bill Irwin’s Cary Loudermilk who also has near-superhuman strength and regenerative healing. Throughout the series, Kerry often acted as the muscle for her team of fellow mutants at Summerland, while she and Cary also often grappled with the nature of their relationship.
Though consistently one of the highest-rated X-Men properties of all-time, with each of its three seasons scoring a minimum of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, Legion did largely end on a conclusive note that would make it understandable if Midthunder and her former co-stars didn’t return. After contending with the ancient entity for the entirety of the show, the series finale saw Dan Stevens’ David and Harry Lloyd’s Charles Xavier teaming up to fight The Shadow King, successfully defeating him while also changing the past in such a way that an entirely new timeline was formed.
One could argue that with the MCU still in their Multiverse Saga, and having already brought back everyone from Patrick Stewart as Professor X to Kelsey Grammer as Beast, the door isn’t entirely closed for Midthunder or other Legion stars to reprise their roles as variants. Stevens himself previously expressed an openness to return as David to ScreenRant, echoing Midthunder’s comments on the special nature of the production and character:
Dan Stevens: It was a really fun role. I’ve never had anything like it come across my inbox, and it was such a fun gang to work with. The director of Deadpool is here tonight. I think we could maybe have a word. Do you think we should corner him and see what we can do? This is Vegas. We can sort this out.
One thing that does simultaneously benefit and hinder Midthunder’s chances to return as Kerry for the MCU’s X-Men reboot is that her character is an original creation by Hawley rather than from any Marvel comic. While the studio has been plenty fine with reshaping certain comic book characters for their stories, or introducing original creations as side figures, the fact that Kerry is a mutant rather than a non-powered being makes the narrative a little trickier to organically introduce her.
However, this does also leave the door wide open for Midthunder to potentially find a new role in the MCU beyond the X-Men reboot. The franchise has frequently given actors a second chance at comic book roles after initial stumbles, from Chris Evans to Michael B. Jordan, Oscar Isaac and Ryan Reynolds, among others. As such, if the opportunity presents itself for Midthunder to take on another role, she may be able to leave Kerry’s legacy with Legion and start anew in the MCU.
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- Release Date
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May 5, 2028
- Director
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Jake Schreier
- Writers
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Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin, Michael Lesslie
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- Release Date
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2017 – 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
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Noah Hawley
- Directors
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John Cameron, Michael Uppendahl, Noah Hawley, Tim Mielants, Dana Gonzales, Charlie McDowell, Andrew Stanton, Dennie Gordon, Ellen Kuras, Keith Gordon, Hiro Murai, Jeremy Webb, Ana Lily Amirpour, Larysa Kondracki, Sarah Adina Smith, Daniel Kwan, Arkasha Stevenson
- Writers
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Noah Hawley, Nathaniel Halpern, Olivia Dufault, Peter Calloway, Jennifer Yale, Kate Thulin
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Dan Stevens
David Haller / Legion
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Rachel Keller
Sydney ‘Syd’ Barrett
