Karate Kid: Legends star in talks to play Iceman in MCU X-Men movie
By (Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Ben Wang is allegedly initiating discussions to portray Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman, in the MCU’s forthcoming X-Men film.
According to Deadline, nothing has been finalized yet; however, performers Gabriel LaBelle (The Fablemans), Jackson Kelly (The Body), and Rhenzy Feliz (The Penguin) have also auditioned for the part.
Iceman first appeared in the comic series The X-Men #1, around 1963, as one of the original members of the superhero team. His mutant powers encompass thermokinesis, hydrokinesis, and cryokinesis. In the live-action Fox films from the early 2000s, Iceman was depicted as being romantically linked with Rogue (who notably didn’t have a live-action Gambit cast for some reason)… which is particularly strange considering he is canonically queer and even had a relationship with Emma Frost’s sibling, Christian Frost, in the comics.
The current cast includes Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Maya Boyd as Storm, Asa Germann as Angel, Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost.
Wang is perhaps most recognized for his leading role in the Disney Plus series American Born Chinese, along with Karate Kid: Legends and The Long Walk. The actor is also poised to feature in the forthcoming prequel The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (which is also directed by The Long Walk’s Francis Lawrence).
X-Men is set to premiere in theaters on May 5, 2028. For additional information, refer to our guide on everything revealed at D23 2026. We’ve also compiled all of the future Marvel films and series coming in 2026 and beyond.
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Lauren Milici serves as a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ located in New York City. Previously, she covered breaking stories for The Independent’s Indy100 and created lists related to television and film for Ranker. Her articles have appeared in Fandom,
