Rumor: Caleb Landry Jones Is Top Choice For Banshee In X-Men: First Class
LatinoReviewis reporting a rumor thatCaleb Landry Jones(Friday Night Lights, The Longshots, The Last Exorcism) isMatthew Vaughn’s top choice to play Sean Cassidy aka Banshee inX-Men: First Class.
Banshee is an Irish mutant named after a legendary ghost from Irish mythology, said to possess a powerful cry. According towikipedia, he possesses a “sonic scream” capable of causing physical vibrations and harming enemies through sound. In the comic books, Banshee was more than a decade older than most of the X-Men and had a exciting past as an interpol agent and NYPD police officer. The character became a mentor to the Generation X junior Massachusetts Academy X team of the 1990’s alongside Emma Frost. So it appear that Singer’s storyline mixes the comic book storylines up a bit. Actor Jeremy Ratchford portrayed the character in a 1996 live-action Generation X television movie.
Previously:Michael FassbenderofInglourious BasterdsandHungeris playing Magnet, a role he chose over a villain turn in Sony’sSpider-Manreboot. It has been rumored thatAmber Heard(The Informers, Zombieland) is in talks to play a young Mystique, andPride & Prejudice/SurrogatesstarRosamund Pikeis in talks to play Moira McTaggert.Benjamin Walker(star of the Public Theater’s “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” has been cast as Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy (aka Beast).Alice Eve, the lead actress fromShe’s Out of My League, is in talks with Fox to play Emma Frost.Spider-Manshortlist actorFrank Dillanemay also be up for a role.
A couple weeks ago,Aaron Johnsonwas spotted"taking a meeting" with Vaughn and newly announced First Class starJames McAvoy, who has signed on to play young Charles Xavier (aka Professor X). The photo shows directorMatthew Vaughnhaving a meeting with James McAvoy andKick-AssstarAaron Johnsonlast week in London England. We know that a week later McAvoy joined the cast of Vaughn’s X-Men prequel… but what about Johnston? It is completely possible that he was just meeting up with Vaughn, as the two became friendly over the course of making Kick-Ass. But why would he be present during Vaughn’s meeting with McAvoy?
THR’sHeatVisionhas reported that producer Bryan Singer (who was originally supossed to directFirst Classbut was unable to due to hisJack the Giant Killercommitments) was usingGiant Killer’s casting process :as an opportunity to look for potential X-Men, vetting actors who may be qualified to play a young Cyclops or young Jean Grey." And previously it wasreportedthat Singer had met with Johnson andAndrew Garfieldabout the possible leading role in Giant Killer.Is it possible that Singer met with Johnston and sent in a recommendation for the actor to play young Cyclops? Again, just wild speculation at this point.
Matthew Vaughnbeat out eight directors to take the helm. Bryan Singer was originally attached to return to the X-Men franchise to helm this new film, but his commitment to Jack The Giant Killer at Warner Broswill prevent him from directing. Singer’s treatment was a Str Trek-style reboot/prequel, which will focus on “the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, and the formation of the school and where there [sic] relationship took a wrong turn.” Singer has previouslyadmittedthat First Class would “probably utilize some of the [planned/announced X-Men Origins:] Magneto story because it deals with a young Magneto,” and that “it might supersede” that plan because this new movie would explore “that relationship between a young energetic professor and a disenfranchised victim of the Holocaust.”
Here is the official plot synopsis:
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.
The day afterJamie Mosshanded in his first draft, Fox head Tom Rothman fast-tracked the project. It was at this moment that Warner Bros informed Singer that they would not delay the production of Jack and the Giant Killer. Singer will still produce the project. I’ve heard the script is solid, and everyone who has read it is excited to make it. Fox is scouting locations in West Michigan. The film is set to go into production this Summer, and the studio has set a June 3rd 2011 release date.
