Peter Claffey Reported as Beast in Marvel’s X-Men Reboot, Studio Yet to Confirm
A report published on October 25, 2026 says Irish actor Peter Claffey has been cast as Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, in Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot. Marvel and parent company Disney have not confirmed the casting, and the studio has not publicly commented on the claim.
The report came from Knight Edge Media, which said it was told exclusively that Claffey had landed the role. The outlet’s editor-in-chief, Caleb Williams, shared the report on X. Entertainment outlets including ComicBook.com, ScreenRant, The Express Tribune and ComicBookMovie.com relayed the story while noting that Marvel had not made an official announcement.
What Marvel has officially confirmed
Marvel’s only official X-Men cast announcement came at D23 in August 2026. The confirmed lineup includes Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm and Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury, an alias of Mister Sinister.
Reports have also named Asa Germann as Angel. Beast was not included in the official cast list revealed at the event.
Production details and release date
The untitled X-Men film is directed by Jake Schreier, who previously made Thunderbolts*. The screenplay is being rewritten by Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo, building on an earlier draft by Michael Lesslie.
Marvel has dated the film for May 5, 2028. Production is expected to begin in the United Kingdom in early 2027, according to multiple reports.
How the Beast search developed
Claffey was first linked to the role in April 2026 by entertainment reporter Jeff Sneider, who said on The Hot Mic podcast that Marvel was looking at him. Charles Melton later emerged as a rumored frontrunner, but by mid-October 2026 reports said Melton was no longer in the running.
Melton was reportedly in final talks to play Kakashi Hatake in Lionsgate’s live-action Naruto film. On October 17, 2026, Williams posted that Melton appeared to be out as Beast, a move that was widely expected once the Naruto casting moved forward.
On October 23, 2026, the insider account MyTimeToShineHello claimed that Beast and Kitty Pryde have only small roles in the first X-Men film, suggesting that limited screen time could be making deals harder to close. That claim has not been verified by Marvel.
Director has urged caution on casting rumors
Schreier has previously addressed the steady flow of X-Men casting reports. In an interview with Collider, he said most of what circulates online does not come from the production.
‘We’re talking about things, we’re thinking about things,’ Schreier said. ‘I can tell you most of the stuff that gets posted online, I don’t know where it comes from, because it doesn’t come from our room, and it isn’t what we’re discussing. But there is a process.’
Who is Peter Claffey
Claffey, 29, is an Irish actor and former rugby union player from Portumna, County Galway. He stars as Ser Duncan the Tall in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Game of Thrones spinoff based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg.
The second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms finished filming in August 2026 and is expected to premiere in the first half of 2027. That timeline could overlap with X-Men production, and reports have noted that his schedule could complicate the HBO series’ plans beyond season 2.
Current status
As of October 26, 2026, Marvel Studios has not confirmed Claffey as Beast. The report has not been officially denied, and no public statement from Marvel or Claffey’s representatives has been reported.
Marvel’s own X-Men announcement from D23 remains the only official cast information. The film is still set for release on May 5, 2028.
