Inde Navarrette’s Rogue Is Reportedly Making Her Marvel Debut Before ‘X-Men’ Movie

Marvel’s mutant reboot has been one of the most closely tracked stories in Hollywood all year, and the casting reveals keep raising the stakes for what’s coming next. Between a shocking box office breakout and a packed D23 announcement, one rising star has found herself at the center of the conversation in record time.

Inde Navarrette went from a supporting role on a canceled CW show to one of the most talked-about new faces in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a matter of months. The 25-year-old actress from Tucson, Arizona, spent years paying her dues in television, including a run on ’13 Reasons Why’ and four seasons as Sarah Cushing on ‘Superman & Lois,’ before her career shifted overnight thanks to an unexpected horror hit.

Now, reports suggest her Marvel debut may come even earlier than fans anticipated. According to a report cited by industry insider Jeff Sneider, Navarrette is expected to appear as Rogue in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ potentially giving audiences their first look at the character well before her confirmed starring role in Marvel’s upcoming ‘X-Men‘ reboot.

That ‘Obsession’ breakout turned out to be massive, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide against a budget of just $750,000, a return that made Hollywood take notice fast. That kind of splash didn’t go unnoticed by Marvel Studios, and speculation about her joining the MCU began building almost immediately after her name started circulating.

The speculation turned official at Disney’s D23 showcase, where Kevin Feige revealed Navarrette as part of the newly assembled X-Men cast. She joins Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost and Maya Boyd as Storm in Jake Schreier’s ‘X-Men,’ which is set to debut in May 2028 as the first MCU film following ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’

Interestingly, Navarrette’s path to Rogue wasn’t entirely what she expected either. She had previously said publicly that she was hoping to land the role of Mystique rather than Rogue, and as of now, no actress has been named for that part, leaving the door open for further casting reveals down the line.

The commitment level required for the role also speaks to how seriously Marvel is investing in her. Navarrette reportedly turned down a role alongside Leonardo DiCaprio along with multiple seven-figure offers in order to sign on as Rogue, a decision that effectively locks in her involvement with the franchise for years to come as the X-Men are expected to become central to the MCU once it’s reshaped following ‘Secret Wars.’

Reaction from those who know the character best has been largely warm so far. Lenore Zann, who voiced Rogue in animated X-Men projects for three decades, welcomed Navarrette to the role in a video message, telling her she couldn’t wait to see what she brings to the part and offering to meet up for coffee once she’s back in Los Angeles. Not everyone has been as immediately convinced, though, with some fans online questioning whether Navarrette’s sudden rise from ‘Obsession’ played an outsized role in landing her the part over more established names.

Whether or not the ‘Secret Wars’ report pans out, Navarrette’s trajectory over the past year has been hard to ignore. Between an awards push reportedly being mounted by Focus Features for her performance in ‘Obsession’ and now a marquee role in one of Marvel’s most anticipated franchises, she’s positioned to be one of the biggest breakout stories to come out of genre film in recent memory.

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