Noah Jupe has officially joined the cast of Marvel Studios' upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars, though details regarding his specific role remain tightly under wraps. The addition of the 21-year-old actor to the highly anticipated film was reported by Deadline, which indicated that Jupe is expected to play a significant part in the movie's narrative.
The casting has immediately sparked speculation, with many fans pointing to the possibility of Jupe portraying a member of the next iteration of the X-Men. Marvel previously announced several actors for the upcoming X-Men film at D23, including Sadie Sink, Adam Driver, and Kit Connor, all of whom are also considered up-and-coming stars, a demographic Jupe fits into. Notably, Jupe and Sadie Sink previously shared the stage in a production of Romeo and Juliet. However, it remains unclear if or when the new X-Men will be integrated into the Secret Wars storyline.
Beyond a potential X-Men connection, other fan theories suggest Jupe could be cast as a character like Nova, who is slated to receive his own standalone film in the future. Given Marvel's past practices, such as keeping Sadie Sink's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day under wraps until its release, audiences may not learn of Jupe's character until Avengers: Secret Wars arrives in theaters in December 2027.
Jupe is a recognizable talent, known for his roles in the Quiet Place franchise and Hamnet, among other notable projects. He is the first actor to be formally announced for Secret Wars, following the events of Avengers: Doomsday. While the fates of many characters from Doomsday are uncertain, the sequel is expected to feature returning actors. It is widely anticipated that Robert Downey Jr. could reprise his role as Doctor Doom, and Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans may return as Thor and Captain America, respectively. Evans has hinted at a challenging narrative for Captain America in Doomsday.
The narrative structure of Secret Wars is expected to follow a pattern similar to Avengers: Infinity War, which saw half of its cast disappear following the snap, with many characters only reappearing in the final act of Avengers: Endgame. It is plausible that Fox's Fox-era X-Men characters could be written out in Doomsday, with Marvel likely to maintain secrecy around these plot points until the film's release. Regardless, the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be heading in ambitious directions.