Jinkx Monsoon Calls for a Trans Woman to Play Mystique in Marvel’s X-Men
Jinkx Monsoon has made it clear that she wants to see a trans woman take on the role of Mystique in Marvel’s next version of the X-Men.
The Broadway performer, known for Oh, Mary! and for winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, brought up the idea while speaking on Vulture’s Good One podcast. She explained why Mystique has always stood out to her and why the character feels personal for many in the trans community.
“Can I manifest something? Marvel has now regained the rights to X-Men. I think it would be really cool to have a trans woman be Mystique,” she said. “She is my favorite Marvel character of all time, and I relate to her so much.”
Mystique has been played in the past by Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence, but Monsoon sees an opportunity for something new. She pointed out that the shape-shifting mutant’s story resonates with trans people.
“I think a lot of trans people do, and we think about how nice it would be to just blend in and not have everyone pay attention to us if we don’t want. And then, we also relate to the fact that she’s not accepted in her original form, so she has to transition to even walk around,” she explained.
Monsoon also revealed that she has asked her agent to push her name forward for the role. “I texted my agent, I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on there, but please start dropping my name,’” she said with a laugh.
The performer has been busy in recent years, taking on roles like the villain Maestro in Doctor Who and portraying Mary Todd Lincoln on Broadway. Now, she’s openly putting herself in the mix for Marvel’s reboot.
But she’s not the only one fans are looking at. Euphoria star Hunter Schafer has also said she thinks it “would be cool” to step into the role, after fans online suggested her as a strong choice.
Meanwhile, Rebecca Romijn will return as Mystique in Marvel’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to feature several returning actors from the original X-Men films.
Jinkx Monsoon’s call for a trans Mystique makes sense. Mystique’s ability to change her form has always been a powerful symbol, and bringing in a trans actress could add even more meaning to the character in the MCU.
It would also give Marvel a chance to show more representation in one of its biggest franchises. What do you think—should Mystique be played by a trans actress in the next X-Men reboot? Share your thoughts in the comments.