And X-Men 3's Beast will be played by...

[starvenger 0]

Link to CHUD

 

THE X-MEN HAVE A BEAST

05.18.05

By Dave Davis

Contributing sources: Variety

 

Aside from Patrick Stewart, the X-Men movies have been known to put some reasonably unexpected actors into the main mutant roles.  An effete Scotsman as our indigo-skinned German teleporter?  The youngster from The Piano as our Southern belle touch-freak?  The gracefully aging Famke Janssen as the telepath formerly known as Marvel Girl?  And who the hell is Hugh Jackman?

 

And yet all of the selections turned out rather well, so I have to assume they know what they’re doing when they make the extremely weird decision to put Kelsey Grammer into the blue fur of X-Men 3’s beloved Beast.  Yes, the man who finally finished years of therapy on NBC’s Frasier is set to play Dr. Hank McCoy, a brilliant scientist and super-agile furry mutant otherwise known as Beast.  And while the voice of the former Cheers barfly seems to fit the loquacious character, I’m having tremendous difficulty picturing the 50-year-old thespian doing too many of the stunts…

 

In addition to confirming the involvement of British footballer/actor/thug Vinnie Jones as Professor Xavier’s oversized powerhouse half-brother Juggernaut, Variety says the production is hunting down Maggie Grace (Lost’s self-centered blonde babe) to play young mutant Kitty Pryde, who can alter her density and “phase” through objects.  They also verify that an actor is being sought to play winged prettyboy Angel (a role we previously heard Alias villain David Anders tested for).

 

At any rate, X-Men 3 is sprinting toward production with Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn at the helm and the hopes of getting it together in time for May of next year.

Like Davis says, he definitely SOUNDS like Beast...

[Black Lushus 0]

I don't like how this is shaping up...we're going to get another MK: Annihilation or Street Fighter or Batman & Robin...too many characters, too much going on, not enough good script to go around...

[starvenger 0]

Wait... The first Mortal Kombat had a script?

[Guest Fook]

I bet they do a Darth Vader thing where they have a different actor play the visual role and let Grammer supply the voice.

[Black Lushus 0]

oh hush, you know what I mean, damn you...

[razazteca 0]

Dr Frazier Crane as Beast is as bad as casting Daddio as The Thing!

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Why not cast the guy who played Beast in X2? Kinda makes sense.

[pochorenella 0]

Doesn't sound that bad, IMO. Alan Cumming did OK with the stunts on X2 and he isn't known particularly for his athletic prowess, either. And all major stunts could still be done with CGI so I'm not worried on that front.

Regarding the supposed large cast, I think both James Marsden and Halle Berry are passing on X3, so you have room for a couple new characters, unless they cast someone else for Cyclops, since we know Phoenix/Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is returning.

Anyway, the X-Men are a TEAM, not just a couple of people so it should be a numerous cast.

[starvenger 0]

oh hush, you know what I mean, damn you...

Yeah, I do. But I couldn't resist.

[The Metal Maniac 0]

So, is it gonna be furry blue Beast, or big hands and feet Beast?

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Doesn't sound that bad, IMO. Alan Cumming did OK with the stunts on X2 and he isn't known particularly for his athletic prowess, either. And all major stunts could still be done with CGI so I'm not worried on that front.

Regarding the supposed large cast, I think both James Marsden and Halle Berry are passing on X3, so you have room for a couple new characters, unless they cast someone else for Cyclops, since we know Phoenix/Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is returning.

Anyway, the X-Men are a TEAM, not just a couple of people so it should be a numerous cast.

Is this just a rumour that Marsden isn't coming back? Given the current storyline he (along w/ Jean) is the most important guy to have around.

[Black Lushus 0]

Regarding the supposed large cast, I think both James Marsden and Halle Berry are passing on X3, so you have room for a couple new characters, unless they cast someone else for Cyclops, since we know Phoenix/Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is returning.

Anyway, the X-Men are a TEAM, not just a couple of people so it should be a numerous cast.

they HAVE to recast Cyclops..they can't just leave him out...is that what you were saying? I think he's as essential to the X-Men as Wolverine is...and what the fuck does James Marsden have to do that's better than this? star in another shitty movie with Katie Holms and Nick Stahl?

[dubq 0]

Why not cast the guy who played Beast in X2? Kinda makes sense.

They don't really need to.

 

It's easily explained by having Beast completely transformed by this point.. so the reason why he wouldn't look like the guy who played him in X2.. is because he doesn't.

 

That said, I hate the idea of Kelsey Grammer in this role - physically. Verbally, fine. Physically, nope.

[Guest El Satanico]

and what the fuck does James Marsden have to do that's better than this?

Superman Returns

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

Regarding the supposed large cast, I think both James Marsden and Halle Berry are passing on X3, so you have room for a couple new characters, unless they cast someone else for Cyclops, since we know Phoenix/Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is returning.

Anyway, the X-Men are a TEAM, not just a couple of people so it should be a numerous cast.

they HAVE to recast Cyclops..they can't just leave him out...is that what you were saying? I think he's as essential to the X-Men as Wolverine is...and what the fuck does James Marsden have to do that's better than this? star in another shitty movie with Katie Holms and Nick Stahl?

Marsden is in the new Superman movie. Supposedly, that's going to conflict with the filming of X-men 3.

 

I say just recast Cyclops. I actually like the character, and Marsden didn't do anything with him anyway. Not that he had a lot to work with in the first place. And get rid of Storm. She's been useless the entire series.

[JasonX 0]

Doesn't sound that bad, IMO. Alan Cumming did OK with the stunts on X2 and he isn't known particularly for his athletic prowess, either. And all major stunts could still be done with CGI so I'm not worried on that front.

Regarding the supposed large cast, I think both James Marsden and Halle Berry are passing on X3, so you have room for a couple new characters, unless they cast someone else for Cyclops, since we know Phoenix/Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is returning.

Anyway, the X-Men are a TEAM, not just a couple of people so it should be a numerous cast.

Is this just a rumour that Marsden isn't coming back? Given the current storyline he (along w/ Jean) is the most important guy to have around.

You know what they SHOULD do? Have Famke play Maddie Pryor, Jean Grey's wild child twin sister and move the fuck on. No Dark Phoenix, no Cyclops, make a clean and complete break from the last two films and move onward with the exception of the Wolverine/Rogue/Iceman love triangle. Bring Gambit and Beast in to interact with Maddie and Storm (with Gambit as Storm's love interest) and get a good villain (like say Proteus or Omega Red). Make the film stand alone and move onward not backwards...

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

hehe, I can't wait for this.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Where's Gambit?

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

Make the film stand alone and move onward not backwards...

Upwards, not onwards!

 

And always twirling, twirling towards freedom!

 

Sorry, I have nothing else meaningful to contribute, but I so rarely get a chance to use that reference.

[SuperJerk 0]

Everyone's ignoring the fact that the real news here is that Kitty Pryde has a bigger part.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

You can easily get another Cyclops since most of his face is covered up and he didn't do much in the first two movies anyway.

[razazteca 0]

Cyclops being replaced by one of the OC guys would not surprise me.

[tommytomlin 0]

This is awesome news. Now all we need is Niles Crane to play Dark Beast.

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

Vinnie Jones? That's weirder than Grammer. He's not exactly a huge monster, unless they're CGI-ing half the characters now.

Edited May 19, 2005 by Mystery Eskimo

[starvenger 0]

Where's Gambit?

Who cares? I'd rather see Rictor in the movie than Gambit...

[Guest DVD Spree]

and what the fuck does James Marsden have to do that's better than this?

Superman Returns

Then Preacher.

[pochorenella 0]

Preacher the comic book? What, is Marsden only doing comic book movies from now on?

[starvenger 0]

Preacher the comic book? What, is Marsden only doing comic book movies from now on?

Apparently he wants to be the new Nic Cage...

[Anakin Flair 0]

I don't like how this is shaping up...we're going to get another MK: Annihilation or Street Fighter or Batman & Robin...too many characters, too much going on, not enough good script to go around...

I wasn't aware that there was a script yet.

 

Don't knock it yet. Wait to see how it looks when they start filming.

[Anakin Flair 0]

Everyone's ignoring the fact that the real news here is that Kitty Pryde has a bigger part.

Yeah, I'm happy about that.

 

Too bad they got two different actresses to play her in the fist two movies in bit parts, though.