Marvel Studios’ X-Men may have found its Hank McCoy, and he arrives from Westeros. Peter Claffey, the Irish actor who plays Ser Duncan the Tall in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, has reportedly landed the role of Beast, according to Knight Edge Media, as relayed by Dark Horizons. Jeff Sneider first floated Claffey’s name back in April. Marvel has confirmed nothing, so for now this sits firmly in the “reportedly” pile.
The part has had a busy few months. Charles Melton had been linked to it, but he dropped out over a clash with the live-action Naruto film, in which he is due to play Kakashi Hatake. That leaves the door open for Claffey, whose Dunk is a giant of a man with a soft heart and a habit of being underestimated by people who should know better. Swap the armour for blue fur and quote some Shakespeare, and it is not that far from Hank McCoy.
According to the same reports, filming is expected to start in the UK in early 2027, ahead of a release on 5 May 2028. The cast list circulating alongside the rumour includes Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Christopher Abbott as Professor X and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Treat those names with care too until Marvel puts them on a press release.
If it does happen, it would be quite the career move: from a hedge knight with one horse and no money to a genius with a doctorate and his own lab. Kelsey Grammer, who played the part in X-Men: The Last Stand and turned up again in The Marvels, may want to have a word about the fur.
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