The drip-feed of casting info for X-Men: First Class is growing into a stream as each day passes. The latest actor linked to the film is Flags of our Fathers’ Benjamin Walker, who is apparently in line to play the young Hank McCoy, AKA Beast.
Showbiz 411 (via Cinematical) reports that while it's not finally sealed, Walker is close to locking in a deal to play McCoy, the scientist who ends up evolving into the blue, furry hero as played by Kelsey Grammer in X-Men: The Last Stand. Walker's more fortunate - if he signs, he won't have to don a heavy suit since the younger Beast is a lot less hairy.
He’s got another link with the older actor, since they both trained at New York performing arts school Julliard. Walker has recently been putting his acting chops to good use in the city, appearing in a critically lauded stage show called Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. The producers had plans to take the thing to Broadway later in the year, but the lead nabbing a big part in a film might throw a slight spanner in that particular scheduling machine.
He’ll be joining a cast that currently only has one confirmed member: James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, though the likes of Amber Heard, Rosamund Pike, Aaron Johnson and Frank Dillane are all rumoured to be up for roles.
Oh, and talking of First Class rumours, it looks like one will actually come through: Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Michael Fassbender is now in actual negotiations to play Erik Lensherr, taking over the Magneto mantle from Sir Ian McKellen.
This mutant prequel charts the beginning (and the sour end) of the partnership between Xavier and Lensherr, and introduces us to younger versions of various X-characters. Matthew Vaughn starts shooting it this summer in and around London.