Nicholas Hoult to play Beast in X-Men: First Class

Benjamin Walker has been replaced by 20 year old actor Nicholas Hoult as Beast in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class according to Deadline. 20th Century Fox were apparently concerned about Walker’s age as he was only a few years younger than James McAvoy, so the more age appropriate Hoult has been brought on board instead.

Hoult was recently seen in Clash of the Titans and A Single Man and was set to film Mad Max: Fury Road later this year, however director George Miller delayed production until next February which made Hoult available for First Class.

Nicholas Hoult is a talented actor and will do justice to the role Kelsey Grammer previously played in X-Men 3. He would be perfect if he had a bit more meat on him but I suppose they could bulk him up with padding etc. (or he could hit the gym first thing tomorrow morning).

Variety has also confirmed speculation that newcomer Caleb Landry Jones has landed the role of Banshee in the film. Sean Cassidy can produce a sonic scream which can overwhelm listeners with deafening noise, stun them with tight-focus low-frequency sonic blasts, plunge them into a hypnotic trance, disorient them, nauseate them, or simply render them unconscious.

All Vaughn needs now is a few more X-ladies in the form of Jean and Storm and he can begin filming as scheduled in London next month.