Taylor Swift’s casting rumors in the MCU have been debunked, but she has recently been replaced with another musician who could have a key role in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men projects. The development of an official X-Men reboot for the MCU has already been spurring various theories fan-casting iconic actors as some of Marvel’s strongest mutants. This is nothing new, of course, as celebrities have always been the source of rumors regarding roles in the MCU, and most recently, this honor was given to pop icon Taylor Swift.

Swift was heavily speculated to be appearing in Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, with most prominent theories casting her as either Lady Deadpool, a female Deadpool variant, or Dazzler, a mutant popstar. Despite many references to Swift’s musical career being made in promotional material for Deadpool & Wolverine, Entertainment Weekly revealed in June that Taylor Swift would not appear in the MCU anytime soon. While some may be disappointed about this news, focus may have now shifted to another pop superstar, who could be perfect for a vastly different MCU role.

Dua Lipa & Callum Turner’s MCU Fan-Casting Rise Is A New Version Of Taylor Swift’s X-Men Casting Hopes

After popstar and recent Glastonbury Festival headliner Dua Lipa shared an image of herself with her new partner, actor Callum Turner, many saw the similarities between the pair and two legendary Marvel Comics heroes. With Lipa sporting red hair, and Turner kitted out in sunglasses, the pair clearly resemble Jean Grey and Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops. This has prompted major fan-casts placing the pair in these central roles for the MCU’s upcoming X-Men movie, with interest moving from Taylor Swift’s casting onto these new possible introductions.

While Callum Turner is an established actor, having appeared in projects such as Victor Frankenstein and the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Dua Lipa has only recently broken into the world of acting, similarly to Taylor Swift herself. Lipa has already impressed in blockbusters Barbie and Argylle, meaning she may be primed to join the MCU very soon. Dua Lipa being fan-cast as the MCU’s Jean Grey repeats the process that Taylor Swift recently underwent. Neither Swift nor Lipa would have been the first musician cast in the MCU, however, suggesting this could still be possible for either star.

The MCU’s Harry Styles Casting Proves Famous Musician Hero Castings Are Possible In The Franchise

While rumors of Taylor Swift’s involvement with Deadpool & Wolverine will amount to nothing, and while viewers wait for Dua Lipa’s possible casting in the MCU, Harry Styles has already broken into the world of superheroes. The former One Direction member made his MCU debut in Eternals’ post-credits scene, and though he is yet to return, his appearance was hugely exciting. Introduced as the brother of Thanos, Harry Styles’ Eros, a.k.a. Starfox, has the opportunity to explain more about Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan, should he return to the MCU.

Harry Styles’ appearance in Eternals proves that Marvel Studios isn’t against the idea of casting high-profile musicians in the MCU. Given Taylor Swift’s close relationship with Ryan Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, it’s almost surprising she won’t be appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine, though this doesn’t discount her from assuming a superhero role in the future. Dua Lipa and Callum Turner haven’t provided any comment on their potential MCU debuts, even though they may be perfect for Jean Grey and Cyclops in X-Men, but Styles’ introduction to the MCU proves this casting could be very possible.