Welcome to Cast Party, the feature that imagines a world with even more live action comic book adaptations than we currently have, and comes up with arguably the best casting suggestions you’re ever going to find for the movies and shows we wish could exist. This week is the first of a four part series spanning the month of May, which envisions a full reboot of the X-Men movie franchise.

The same X-Men series has been running (with some timeline jumps) since 2000, and it's been a mixed bag at best. Even as people are excited for X-Men Apocalypse, I hear a lot of fans suggesting that it might be about time to shake things up. So what would an X-Men reboot look like? That's the challenge I've set for myself this month. There are a lot of actors in the current series that I love, but I'm not letting myself use any of them --- at least, not in the same roles!

This first movie will focus on the Silver Age X-Men team, although it will be set in the present. I don't really want to do a First Class thing over again, so this movie will feature an adult team who grew up together and are now experienced superheroes. Charles Xavier is believed to be dead (and maybe he is; those other movies have always given him too much of the focus), leaving Scott and Jean in charge. At the beginning of the movie they're welcoming their newest team member, the magnetic Polaris. But the team's trust in her will be tested when her long-lost father turns out to be their greatest enemy.

  • Adam Scott as Scott Summers

    Marvel/NBC
    Marvel/NBC
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    Credit for this idea goes to X-Plain the X-Men host Jay Edidin, the biggest Cyclops fan I know. Adam Scott is great at portraying the kind of dorky awkwardness that's essential to Scott Summers, without being as unlikable as some previous adaptations have been (looking at you, '90s animated series).

  • Bryce Dallas Howard as Jean Grey

    Marvel/Universal
    Marvel/Universal
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    Even before she becomes Phoenix, Jean should be one of the most powerful X-Men, and basically the co-leader. And unlike Jurassic World, we'll give Howard some boots without high heels for the action scenes.

  • Michael C. Hall as Hank McCoy

    Marvel/Showtime
    Marvel/Showtime
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    From David Fisher to Dexter to Hedwig, Hall has displayed a special talent for fully transforming into his characters. That's why I think he'd be great at finding the ape-like physicality of the Beast, while still radiating Hank's intelligence.

  • Maulik Pancholy as Bobby Drake

    Marvel/Universal
    Marvel/Universal
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    Pancholy is a great comedic actor who hasn't always gotten the roles he deserves, and I think he'll be great as the funniest of the X-Men. Bobby will also be portrayed as gay in this movie, even though he didn't come out until much later in the comics.

  • Oscar Isaac as Warren Worthington

    Marvel/Lucasfilm
    Marvel/Lucasfilm
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    I can't believe that other X-Men franchise decided to cast the most handsome man in the world as Apocalypse. So I'm correcting that error by casting him as the most handsome mutant, Angel.

  • Justin Timberlake as Alex Summers

    Marvel/Regency
    Marvel/Regency
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    At the time of this movie, Alex has only recently been reunited with his brother Scott and joined the X-Men. He's barely in control of his powers, which are far more destructive than anyone else's on the team.

  • Amber Stevens West as Lorna Dane

    Marvel/Columbia
    Marvel/Columbia
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    Polaris is the new recruit in this movie, just learning what it means to be an X-Man. However, some questions she's always had about her parentage will come to a head by the movie's end.

  • Christoph Waltz as Magneto

    Marvel/MGM
    Marvel/MGM
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    Waltz is a born villain (although probably also a very nice man), and Magneto is one of the greatest villains of all time. A perfect match.

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