Inde Navarrette’s recent casting in Marvel’s X-Men reboot has sparked fan debate over her fame from Obsession. The actress was announced to play Rogue in the film during Marvel Studios’ panel at the D23 Expo last weekend. Previously, Navarette had expressed interest in joining the MCU and had confirmed she had spoken with director Jake Schreier.
Some fans have questioned whether her recent popularity from Obsession played a major role in landing the high-profile Marvel role. On the other hand, some fans are pushing back on the idea, arguing that delivering a strong performance in a smaller project usually leads actors to land bigger opportunities.
Forbes writer Paul Tassi noted Navarrette was a relative unknown before appearing in Obsession. The actress had a recurring role in Superman and Lois, where she played Sarah Cushing. “I think she’ll kill as Rogue now that we know what she can do, but man this felt so random as Obsession and Nikki were blowing up,” wrote Tassi on social media.
Matt Jarbo of the Hollywood After Dark Podcast also noted that Obsession’s success directly resulted in Navarrette landing the Marvel role. Prior to her casting, Cailee Spaeny was a popular fan-cast for Rogue. However, as Jarbo notes, “Inde has the one thing Hollywood desperately wants: heat.”
Marvel’s new X-Men movie turns breakout stars into franchise players
Marvel recently unveiled its new X-Men cast, with Navarrette joining Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Maya Boyd as Storm and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. The cast includes well-known actors as well as relative newcomers.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has already publicly said that the next phase of Marvel projects will heavily focus on the mutants. The upcoming X-Men will be the first of many projects in the Mutant Saga, while also existing alongside established franchises like Black Panther.
The X-Men reboot is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2028, putting Navarrette’s Rogue at the center of growing fan interest.
