Deadline reported Monday that Ben Wang, the rising Asian American star of the Disney+ series "American Born Chinese" and "Karate Kid: Legends," is in talks to play Iceman in Marvel Studios’ new "X-Men" movie. He would succeed Shawn Ashmore, who portrayed the mutant hero in Fox’s earlier films.
In trade-reporting shorthand, “in talks” at this stage typically means the casting is essentially locked, with only the final contract details left to negotiate. Wang’s career has taken off quickly in recent years. In addition to taking the lead in the "Karate Kid" franchise, he has become a favorite of "The Hunger Games" director Francis Lawrence, who cast him in prominent roles in both "The Long Walk" and "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping."
The previously announced cast of the new "X-Men" also includes Maya Boyd as Storm, Adam Driver as the villain Mister Sinister, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Asa Germann as Angel and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, the White Queen. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2028.
The new "X-Men" will be directed by "Thunderbolts*" — also known as "The New Avengers" — filmmaker Jake Schreier. "Beef" writer Joanna Calo, who previously worked with Schreier on the first season of the Netflix series, and series creator Lee Sung Jin are writing the screenplay. Calo also penned an earlier draft of "Thunderbolts*" at Schreier’s request.