Maisie Williams Wants Another Shot at Wolfsbane in Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ Reboot

Superhero fans know the feeling of a character who never quite got a fair shot. Sometimes the movie stumbles, and the performers are left wondering what might have been. That is the story of one of the more unusual corners of the X-Men film universe.

Wolfsbane, the werewolf-like mutant Rahne Sinclair, made her live-action debut in the 2020 film ‘The New Mutants.’ Maisie Williams played her, after being cast in the role back in 2016. The film later failed to connect with critics or at the box office, and one report tags it as a $49 million bomb.

Now Williams is making a case for a second chance. She wants to return as Wolfsbane in the ‘X-Men’ reboot film. She said she really liked playing Rahne and that the character should be brought back, joking that it might come 28 years after the first.

That interview was conducted by ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan while Williams was promoting ‘Practical Magic 2.’ Williams also seemed to lean into the idea of getting the character back on the line with Marvel, based on the exchange in the piece. It is a playful pitch, but a sincere one.

It is not the first time Williams has shown enthusiasm for the franchise. Years before ‘The New Mutants’ arrived, she told Entertainment Weekly she would love to be part of the Marvel family. In a Rolling Stone interview, she also said she hoped her Wolfsbane would eventually meet her ‘Game of Thrones’ co-star Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey on screen.

The timing of her comments is interesting. Marvel confirmed the reboot’s release date at D23 on Aug. 14, and the film is set to open exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2028. Jake Schreier, who previously directed ‘Thunderbolts,’ is directing, and filming is expected to begin in 2027.

The cast is already taking shape, and it doesn’t include any Fox-era holdovers. Sadie Sink plays Jean Grey, Kit Connor is Cyclops, and Samara Weaving is Emma Frost. Christopher Abbott plays Professor X, Inde Navarrette is Rogue, Maya Boyd is Storm, and Adam Driver plays Mister Sinister.

Marvel has described the film as its first built around a newly assembled X-Men team rather than a cameo-driven crossover. That makes a return for a Fox-era actor look unlikely. Williams is also not the only former mutant hoping for another turn, as Dominic Monaghan and Lana Condor have both expressed interest in returning as Bolt and Jubilee.

Fans of the Fox series aren’t being left completely out in the cold. Familiar faces from those movies are set to return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ brought back several mutants from the earlier franchise. But the reboot is expected to take the franchise in a fresh direction rather than simply continue the previous movies.

For now, Williams’s comments read more like a fan-friendly wish than a prediction. Marvel hasn’t announced any plans involving Wolfsbane, and additional casting announcements are still to come. Still, it is a reminder that some actors are ready to give a difficult experience another try.

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