6 Actors Who Would Be Perfect as Mystique in the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to expand with each new phase, weaving in heroes and villains that fans have been anticipating for years. While characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man have defined its first saga — from The First Avenger through Infinity War and Endgame — new arrivals are on the horizon. With the X-Men soon to join Earth-616, one of the most fascinating additions would undoubtedly be Mystique, the shapeshifting mutant who has been a mainstay of Marvel comics for decades.

Mystique is easily one of the most fascinating and morally complex characters in X-Men history and quite possibly the entire Marvel Comics Universe. While she has often been portrayed as a villain — given her alliance with Magneto — she operates with a pragmatic and sometimes ruthless approach driven by survival, mutant rights, and even personal motives. So, while she has committed acts of violence, which were usually motivated by a deep mistrust of humanity, she did help the X-Men on more than one occasion in the comics and their adaptations.

With the introduction of Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the admission of Marvel Jesus, aka Deadpool, into the MCU, it’s becoming clear that the franchise is nearing a point at which the X-Men will make their official appearance. Now, the idea of a rebooted cast isn’t out of the window, especially since newer films — such as X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Apocalypse — have introduced new actors to the franchise.

This leads us back to Mystique; she’s an inevitable addition to the MCU’s widening cast list and one of the fandom’s favorite mutants. So, it’s not all that surprising that fans are wasting no time proposing their own ideas on who should portray the character in the X-Men’s upcoming appearances within the MCU. Here’s our take on six actors who would be perfect as Mystique in the MCU:

Lesley-Ann Brandt

Most people know Lesley-Ann Brant for her portrayal of Mazikeen, a confidante and devoted ally of Lucifer from the popular Netflix series. She also briefly appeared in Gotham, where she portrayed comic book villain Copperhead. Given her long history working with DC comics, Brandt certainly built up her resume that could easily grab the attention of DC’s competitor, Marvel, and even land her the role of Mystique.

Her portrayal of Mazikeen showcased her ability to play complex, multifaceted characters, which makes her a great candidate for a shape-shifting mutant. In fact, she has been a popular choice among the fans for quite some time, many of whom have taken their opinions to Reddit, garnering a massive amount of positive feedback from others who could envision Brandt as Mystique.  

Jodie Turner-Smith

The British actress, best known for her roles in Queen & Slim and After Yang, has been a subject of fan discussions and casting for quite some time. Admittedly, most fans envisioned Jodie Turner-Smith as Storm, but a small section of X-Men and MCU fans have proposed the actress for the role of Mystique — especially in the hypothetical X-Men: Evolution adaptation that could be part of the MCU.

The actor recently appeared in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey — starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell — and Tron: Ares, where she portrays Athena, an unstoppable force and a cold and imposing leader of an elite special forces unit. Both movies are scheduled to be released this year.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy already made her Marvel Universe debut, though not in the MCU, but in The New Mutants movie, as Illyana Rasputin, a Russian mutant with sorcery powers who can manifest the Soulsword. Oh, and she’s Colossus’ sister. Sadly, The New Mutants was a complete bust, both financially and critically, but that doesn’t mean that Taylor-Joy doesn’t deserve another chance. Given her talent and amazing acting range, there’s little doubt that she could portray all of Mystique’s complexities. Her ethereal look and intensity call back to the Fantastic visual reimaginings Marvel has delivered since The Incredible Hulk and beyond.

Chloe Bailey

Though she rose to fame as a singer and songwriter, Chloe Bailey, known mononymously as Chlöe, also starred in several movies and TV shows even before she released her first studio album in collaboration with her sister, Halle Bailey. She first appeared in 2003’s The Fighting Temptations, followed by a number of movies, before finally moving to television with 2018’s Grown-ish and 2023’s Swarm.

Bailey’s recent acting endeavors demonstrated her adaptability and range, reflecting a deep understanding of character development. This is important when portraying a complex character like Mystique, especially since the shapeshifter is known for her multifaceted nature and moral ambiguity.

Alexa Demie

Alexa Demie, best known for her portrayal of Maddy Perez in HBO’s teen drama television series Euphoria, is yet another actress who’s often fan-cast for the role of Mystique. She made several appearances in various movies and TV shows, where she showed her range and the ability to portray intense and layered characters.

The actor could easily help Mystique get back to form, especially if the character is given a comic book-accurate storyline and more space to develop in the MCU. Not to mention that Demie’s private and enigmatic public image mirrors Mystique’s secretive character.

Gemma Chan

Gemma Chan already has some history with the MCU — before she portrayed the Prime Eternal Sersi in 2021’s Eternals, she played Minn-Erva, a Kree tactical sniper and a member of the Starforce from 2019’s Captain Marvel movie. Truth be told, Captain Marvel did really well with the audiences and at the box office, but Eternals flopped really hard.

Given her established presence in the MCU, casting her as Mystique could be a bit unconventional, but this wouldn’t be the first time Marvel had the same actor play different roles. Considering just how poorly Eternals performed, the portrayal of Mystique could be Chan’s redemption arc within the franchise: she certainly possesses the necessary talent and versatility to pull this off.

Final Thoughts

While these fan-driven discussions underscore each of the actors’ potential for portraying Mystique in her future appearance within the MCU, it’s really important to note that these are largely speculative — especially since Marvel Studios still haven’t made any official announcements regarding the role or the casting. In the end, we’ll just have to wait and see who gets the role, and we hope that Marvel will consider one of the names on our list. Introducing Mystique would deepen the moral complexity of Marvel’s universe. She could spar with Wolverine, manipulate the Avengers, and even challenge younger heroes like Spider-Man. With release schedules that often drop in June, July, September, or December, fans may not have long to wait before Mystique makes her mark. Whether it’s through a cameo teased by Nick Fury or a full-scale debut in an X-Men saga, Mystique could reshape the balance of power across Earth-616.

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