‘X-Men’ Star Halle Berry Gives Her Blessing to the New Storm, and Fans Are Here for It

Franchise reboots always carry a bit of emotional risk, especially when they involve recasting a character an actor has spent decades bringing to life. Fans tend to hold tight to the performances that first introduced them to a beloved hero, making any transition feel like uncharted territory.

That’s exactly the dynamic surrounding Marvel Studios’ upcoming ‘X-Men‘ reboot, which is preparing to introduce an entirely new cast for characters audiences have known for over twenty years. Few roles carry as much legacy weight as Storm, a character whose big-screen identity has been closely tied to one actress since the franchise’s earliest days.

Halle Berry, who first brought Ororo Munroe to life in 2000’s original ‘X-Men’ film, has now publicly weighed in on newcomer Maya Boyd stepping into the role for Marvel’s MCU reboot. Speaking with PEOPLE at the Create & Cultivate Festival in Los Angeles, Berry offered an enthusiastic endorsement of the 23-year-old actress taking over the weather-controlling mutant. “I believe she’s going to kill it,” Berry said in an interview with PEOPLE.

Berry was careful to frame her support in a way that honored her own legacy with the character rather than simply handing off the role entirely. “Yeah, there’s people playing Storm. No, my Storm was my Storm, and I wish her so well,” she continued. “I very much look forward to seeing what her version will be. I’m sure she’s going to murder it.”

That distinction matters to Berry, who’s navigated similar territory before with another iconic role. She drew a direct comparison to her time playing Catwoman in 2004, noting that multiple actresses, including Anne Hathaway and Zoe Kravitz, have since put their own spin on that character without erasing what came before. “Everybody has their version of who that character is and how they internalize it,” Berry explained.

Halle Berry on Maya Boyd being cast as Storm in the MCU: “I believe she’s going to kill it. I wish her so well. I very much look forward to seeing what her version will be. I’m sure she’s going to murder it.” (via: @people) https://t.co/8Vnq5SV5wp

— X-Men Updates (@XMenUpdate) September 22, 2026

Boyd’s casting was officially revealed last month at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige introduced the full cast of the upcoming reboot. She joins a stacked ensemble that includes Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, and Adam Driver taking on the villainous role of Mister Sinister.

The project is being directed by Jake Schreier and is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 5, 2028. With a cast this deep and a director bringing fresh vision to the material, expectations for how the MCU handles its long-awaited X-Men integration are already running high.

Berry originated Storm across four films in the original franchise, including ‘X2: X-Men United,’ ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ and ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past,’ cementing her as the character’s definitive big-screen portrayal for over a decade before Alexandra Shipp took on a younger version of Ororo in later installments. That history makes her public support for Boyd feel especially meaningful to longtime fans watching the transition unfold.

Rather than treating the reboot as a threat to her legacy, Berry’s comments suggest she views it as simply the natural next chapter for a character bigger than any single performance. With production still ahead and years until release, her endorsement gives early momentum to a casting choice that’s already generating plenty of fan excitement.

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