British actor Kit Connor rocketed to international fame with his breakout role as Nick Nelson in Netflix’s Heartstopper, earning critical acclaim for his heartfelt portrayal of the beloved character. Before the coming-of-age series, Connor already had an impressive résumé, appearing in projects such as Rocketman, His Dark Materials and Little Joe. Since Heartstopper, he has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand young actors, expanding into big movies and theater productions. 

Now, Connor would be stepping into a role that has long been central to the X-Men mythology. 

Heartstopper star Kit Connor is reportedly in talks to nab one of Marvel’s most iconic mutant roles, Cyclops. The actor has emerged as the frontrunner to play the hero in the upcoming X-Men reboot. If it goes through, the casting would be Connor’s biggest franchise role to date and another huge step in his rapidly rising Hollywood career. 

Deadline reported that Kit Connor is Marvel Studios’ first choice to play Scott Summers aka Cyclops. The Heartstopper star is said to have scored the role after months of meetings and auditions. Sources say a handful of actors did screen tests after the 4th of July holiday, and after a lot of deliberation, Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, and director Jake Schreier settled on Connor last week. 

If the deal is finalized, Connor will join what is reported to be a growing cast that will include Samara Weaving as Emma Frost and Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, two characters who have close ties to Cyclops in the Marvel Comics. However, Marvel Studios has not officially commented on the casting. Additionally, Connor's representatives are also leaving his fans hanging.  

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Meanwhile, the role of Cyclops comes with decades of comic book and cinematic history. 

Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, is one of the defining X-Men of the Marvel Universe, appearing in The X-Men #1 in 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He is considered the team leader in the field. Cyclops has the power to shoot powerful optic blasts from his eyes, which are controlled by the use of a special visor or ruby-quartz glasses. The character was played by James Marsden in the original X-Men trilogy, before Tye Sheridan took over the role in the franchise’s later prequel films. 

The reported casting of Kit Connor as Cyclops would be another major milestone in a career that has accelerated since Heartstopper. While Marvel Studios has not confirmed the reports, adding Connor to the X-Men reboot would be consistent with the studio’s push to introduce a new generation of mutants. If the deal goes through, he will be taking on one of Marvel’s most iconic roles, following in the footsteps of James Marsden and Tye Sheridan.

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Do you think Kit Connor is the right choice to play Cyclops in Marvel's X-Men reboot? Let us know in the comments.