Ben Hardy Goes From Soap Star To Mutant

The Wrap reports that British actor Ben Hardy has won a key role in Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Apocalypse".

The younger actors introduced in "X-Men: First Class James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto) Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Nicholas Hoult (Beast) and Lucas Till (Alex “Havok” Summers), etc. are contracted for three films and are locked in to return. Rose Byrne will reprise her role of Moira MacTaggert here.

This time the mutants will take on Apocalypse, aka. En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac). In the comics, En Sabah Nur is the world's first mutant who was born in Egypt around 3,000 BC and had access to advanced technology. The events of the film take place in the 80's. We were told that the studio originally wanted "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises" actor Tom Hardy to play the bad guy in the film. The character was teased in the post-credits scene of "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (Played by Brendan Pedder).

Ben's role is unknown at this point, but it is said to be "significant to the X-Men universe". Speculation has already pointed to him as a potential young Colossus, with his average height at 5'10" Others have suggested a new incarnation of Angel/Archangel. His only other screen credit is his regular role as Peter Beale on long-running British soap "EastEnders"--his character left the soap this week.

Alexandra Shipp will play the young Storm. Tye Sheridan will play Cyclops Kodi Smit-McPhee has been cast as a young Nightcrawler and Sophie Turner will play Jean Grey.

Chloe Moretz, Hailee Steinfeld, Elle Fanning, Ben Hardy, Charlie Rowe Taron Egerton ("Kingsman: The Secret Service), Jamie Blackley ("If I Stay") Alexandra Shipp Zendaya Coleman, Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet were each the mix to play a young mutant before the final choices were made.

The adult incarnations of the characters were played by Halle Berry, Famke Janssen and James Marsden in various chapters of the film series. Alan Cumming played Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United.

It is likely that Channing Tatum will debut as the X-Men mutant Gambit here before getting a solo film

"X2: X-Men United" and "Superman Returns" screenwriters Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris as well as Simon Kinberg are writing the script for "Apocalypse" .

Production is slated to begin in the Spring. The film will hit theaters on May 27, 2016 opposite Alice in Wonderland 2.