Peter Claffey reportedly joins Marvel’s X-Men as Beast

Marvel’s planned X-Men reboot is taking shape, with Irish actor Peter Claffey reportedly set to play Beast in the film currently scheduled for 2028.

The casting report comes from Knight Edge Media. Claffey is best known for playing Sir Duncan in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Who is Peter Claffey?

Before pursuing acting, Claffey competed as a professional rugby player. He graduated from Dublin’s Bow Street Academy for Screen Acting in 2020, made his professional stage debut in 2022 and later appeared on television as Joe Walsh in Bad Sisters.

Charles Melton was also reportedly considered for Beast, but left the running to concentrate on playing Kakashi Hatake in the live-action Naruto film.

Beast’s history in Marvel

Beast debuted in X-Men #1 in 1963. The mutant is defined by the contrast between his animal-like appearance and extraordinary intelligence, making him one of the team’s most distinctive characters.

Kelsey Grammer previously portrayed Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past. He is expected to return in Avengers: Doomsday, which may be his final appearance as the character. Nicholas Hoult played a younger version of Beast in the earlier X-Men films, where the scientist had a more prominent role.

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More reported X-Men casting

Caleb William of Knight Edge Media has also reported that Renate Reinsve has met with Marvel about playing Moira MacTaggert. Reinsve’s credits include Backrooms, Sentimental Value, Fjord and The Worst Person in the World.

That possible casting remains uncertain. The Oscar-nominated actor previously said in an interview that she would not fit in a Marvel film.

Moira MacTaggert is traditionally depicted as a geneticist and close ally of mutantkind. Later stories, including House of X, reimagined her as a mutant who can restart her life and reshape reality whenever she dies.

The reported cast so far

The new film is reported to include Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Maya Boyd as Storm, Asa Germann as Angel and Adam Driver as the primary antagonist, Mister Sinister.

With a largely new ensemble, the film appears positioned as a reset from the earlier Fox-produced movies and a fresh MCU interpretation of the characters. The current theatrical release date is May 5, 2028.

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