Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot has reportedly found its Beast, with Peter Claffey said to be taking on the role of Hank McCoy. If the report holds, the Irish actor would complete one of the last major pieces of the new mutant lineup, though Marvel Studios has not confirmed the casting.
Knight Edge Media reported the casting exclusively on October 25, saying it had been told Claffey has been cast as Hank McCoy in the reboot. The outlet added that Marvel Studios could not be reached for comment, and Claffey's name has circulated around the role for months — insider Jeff Sneider first floated him as a candidate back in April, while Charles Melton was also reportedly considered before moving on to Sony's live-action Naruto film.
Claffey broke out as Ser Duncan the Tall in HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Game of Thrones prequel series that earned nine Emmy nominations. The 6-foot-5 former rugby player, who represented Ireland at under-20 level before turning to acting, would bring a rare physical presence to Beast, and he is set to return as Dunk when the HBO series comes back for its second season in early 2027.
That combination of size and warmth is a large part of why his name kept coming back in fan casting for the role. Beast is a character who has to read as both a heavyweight in a fight and the smartest person in the room, and Claffey's turn as the gentle, towering Dunk showed he can carry both sides of that contrast.
Hank McCoy was one of the five original X-Men introduced in the comics in 1963, a brilliant scientist whose genius is matched only by his strength and agility. His own experiments later transformed him into the blue-furred form the character is best known for, making him as much a visual-effects challenge as a performance.
On screen, the role has passed through two eras. Kelsey Grammer played the older Beast beginning with X-Men: The Last Stand and returns in Avengers: Doomsday, while Nicholas Hoult played the younger Hank across the First Class films.
Most of the reboot's lineup is already official, after Marvel Studios confirmed its cast at D23 in August 2026: Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier is helming the film, which is expected to begin production in early 2027 ahead of a May 5, 2028 release.
For now, Claffey's casting remains a report rather than an announcement. If it is confirmed, the reboot would have its Beast — and the original five X-Men would be one Iceman short of complete.
