Percy Jackson Star Aryan Simhadri Wants In on Marvel’s X-Men Reboot as This Famous Mutant

The wave of casting speculation surrounding Marvel’s mutant reboot has swept up plenty of names over the past year, from established stars to rising talents eager to throw their hats into the ring. With the project still assembling its roster, actors themselves have increasingly started weighing in on which roles they’d love to tackle.

That trend continued this week with a new name entering the conversation: Aryan Simhadri, best known for playing Grover Underwood in Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians.’ The young actor has built a devoted fanbase over the past two seasons of the fantasy series, and now he’s reportedly set his sights on a very different kind of role.

Simhadri expressed interest in playing Nightcrawler in Marvel’s upcoming ‘X-Men‘ reboot, currently in development under director Jake Schreier. The comment adds his name to a growing list of actors publicly campaigning for a spot in the mutant team’s next live-action iteration.

Nightcrawler has a long history on screen, most notably played by Alan Cumming in 2003’s ‘X2: X-Men United’ and later by Kodi Smit-McPhee in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ and ‘Dark Phoenix.’ Cumming reprised the teleporting mutant once again for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ but that appearance is widely expected to bridge the gap into the new timeline rather than carry forward into the rebooted franchise, meaning the role remains open for a fresh casting.

Simhadri’s path to a potential superhero role has been building steadily since his breakout turn as Grover, the satyr protector at the heart of Rick Riordan’s beloved mythology series. His performance helped make ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ one of Disney+’s most acclaimed young-adult adaptations, earning him a dedicated following heading into the show’s second season.

Born in Ventura, California, to a family with roots in Telangana, India, Simhadri began acting in small roles before landing his first starring part in the Disney Channel original film ‘Spin’ in 2021. His career has grown steadily since then, including a supporting role in Disney+’s ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ and an off-Broadway run in ‘Trevor: The Musical.’

Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ reboot has become one of the most closely watched casting processes in recent memory, with reports indicating the film is leaning into the franchise’s classic original comic lineup. Roles like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Beast have already generated extensive speculation, while characters like Nightcrawler and Gambit remain firmly in rumor territory without any actors formally attached.

With no confirmed casting announcement for Nightcrawler yet, Simhadri’s public interest joins a broader pattern of actors using social media and press appearances to signal their enthusiasm for specific roles before anything becomes official. Whether that kind of public campaigning ever translates into an actual audition or casting decision remains uncertain, but it’s become an increasingly common tactic as fans and industry insiders alike track every scrap of news about the project.

Marvel Studios has not commented on any specific actor being considered for the role, and the studio’s plans for a full cast reveal remain tied to speculation about this month’s D23 convention. Until an official announcement arrives, fans will have to keep watching for more actors to throw their names into the ever-expanding mutant casting conversation.

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