Samara Weaving Will Play Emma Frost in Marvel’s X-Men

The White Queen has been chosen.

Samara Weaving is set to play Emma Frost in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men movie, according to a new report from Deadline. Marvel declined to comment on the casting, meaning the studio has not formally announced Weaving’s involvement.

Deadline reports that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and director Jake Schreier selected Weaving earlier this week following an extensive search for the role. Several actors reportedly tested after July 4, with Weaving ultimately landing the part based on her audition.

Samara Weaving Will Play the MCU’s Emma Frost

Weaving is best known for leading the Ready or Not films, along with performances in The Babysitter, Mayhem, Scream VI and Carolina Caroline. Her casting brings an established genre performer into one of the most complicated—and frequently misunderstood—roles in the X-Men universe.

Emma Frost first appeared in 1980’s Uncanny X-Men #129, created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Introduced as the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, Emma began as an adversary of the X-Men before gradually becoming one of the team’s most important members, teachers and leaders.

She is a powerful telepath capable of reading and manipulating minds. Emma later developed a secondary mutation allowing her to transform her body into organic diamond, granting her extraordinary durability while preventing her from using her psychic abilities in that form.

That evolution—from villain to reluctant ally to committed protector of mutant students—is what makes Emma significantly more layered than the cold, wealthy socialite she may initially appear to be.

January Jones previously played the character in 2011’s X-Men: First Class. Weaving will now bring Emma into Marvel Studios’ developing version of the mutant franchise.

What We Know About Marvel’s X-Men Movie

Jake Schreier, who directed Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*, is directing the upcoming X-Men film. Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo are writing the screenplay. Schreier previously worked with Lee on both Beef and Thunderbolts*.

Marvel has not revealed the movie’s complete lineup, plot or release date. The studio has also not publicly confirmed how closely its version of Emma Frost will follow her comic-book history—or whether she will initially enter the story as an antagonist, an X-Man or something in between.

Emma’s inclusion does, however, create several possibilities.

Her history connects her to the Hellfire Club, mutant education, Cyclops, Jean Grey and some of the X-Men’s most politically and emotionally complicated storylines. She can function as an antagonist without being reduced to a conventional villain, and as a hero without becoming particularly agreeable.

In other words: she is exactly the kind of character who can make a new X-Men ensemble much messier—and much more interesting.

Marvel may not be ready to formally introduce its new team yet, but one of the franchise’s most formidable mutants has reportedly found her actor.

And Samara Weaving is putting on the white cape.