Driver’s casting was one of the biggest surprises. He appeared in a video message to confirm that he would play Nathaniel Milbury, the character associated with Mister Sinister.

Driver had previously been linked to the role of Magneto in the reboot, but Marvel has now confirmed him as one of the film’s villains.

The movie will be the first standalone X-Men film since Disney acquired 21^st Century Fox and its library of mutant characters.

The mutants have gradually returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Deadpool & Wolverine and the animated series X-Men ‘97 helping revive interest in the franchise.

Fox’s former X-Men stars have also appeared in recent MCU projects. Patrick Stewart returned as Professor Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while Kelsey Grammer appeared as Beast in The Marvels.

Several former Fox stars are also set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, including Stewart as Professor X, Grammer as Beast, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique.

Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who debuted in Deadpool & Wolverine, will also appear in the film, which is scheduled to hit cinemas on December 18.

The new film marks a fresh start for Marvel’s mutant heroes after Fox’s franchise ended with Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine became the breakout star of the original franchise, appearing in three standalone films before returning alongside Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Marvel has yet to confirm who will play Beast in the new X-Men film.

With inputs from Agencies