When it comes to the X-Men entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's still unclear how it's all going to unfold. Fans are still unclear as to what direction Kevin Fiege and Marvel Studios are going to take with the mutants. Will they be a younger generation dealing with the world around them pushing back on their existence, or will it be a mix of ages and experiences?
One thing for certain is that they'll need to nail the casting for the Omega-Level mutant known as Iceman. He's a key member of the X-Men and his being gay gives Marvel another opportunity at displaying representation for a marginalized group of people in much the same way the original X-Men were intended to do when they were first introduced.
8 Ashton Sanders
No one would ever want to purposely typecast an actor, but with Ashton Sanders, it feels like his performance in Moonlight is the type of personal journey Bobby Drake would have to endure to some extent. Sanders is rather young still, but with it being unclear how old the X-Men will be in the MCU, it's safe to assume they might skew younger and that would open the door for him in a major way.
His most recent performance was playing Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, but his schedule has been steady thanks in large part to how brilliant he was in his breakout performance.
7 Dylan Minnette
Dylan Minnette happens to fall into the category of actors who are naturally charming and it feels like he's slowly turning into the type of leading man audiences will see in television and film for the foreseeable future. In 13 Reasons Why he played a kid who was often well-meaning but also sometimes came across as selfish and caught up in his own world.
Something a mutant like Bobby Drake might experience as he tries to hide his mutant genes and deeper secrets from those closest to him. Minnette also has the type of frame where he could bulk up and get on the MCU training program to display a physique expected from a superpowered human.
6 Jordan Fisher
Jordan Fisher, for better or worse, has been typecast early in his career as the charming and dorky love interest. His smile can light up a room and he has this unforced natural suave about him that immediately makes him likable. That being said, he's totally capable of sarcastic quips behind a subtle smirk that'll likely get him in a bit of trouble.
Blending those two things together is essential for Bobby Drake, where audiences feel for him one minute, but the next might think he's being a bit too harsh or mean. It also helps that Fisher is relatively young and could be Iceman in the MCU for a number of years moving forward.
5 Dylan Sprouse
Bobby Drake is often written as a class clown type that is rather spontaneous and will act before thinking. Ever since his days on the Disney Channel, Dylan Sprouse has always drifted towards roles that are much more chaotic and free than that of his brother, Cole Sprouse. Dylan has yet to land his breakout role as an adult in the same way Cole did with Riverdale, but he's just as talented in front of the camera.
He has the ability to present himself as this over-the-top frat guy type of energy, but at the same time has a softness to him outside of that exterior that needs to be chiseled away, kind of like ice. Dylan also falls into an age range where he could be a mentor, but at the same time could be seen as a pupil to whoever is cast as Cyclops or Professor X in the MCU.
4 Joseph Quinn
There's no denying that Joseph Quinn stole the show as Eddie Munson in Stranger Things. Audiences became so attached to his character that he's been the focus of fan theories and online petitions ever since the fourth season of the show concluded in 2022. He'd likely welcome a role where he doesn't have to wear a ridiculous wig, and spoilers for Stranger Things, one where he's able to grow and evolve in the role for more than one season.
Eddie Munson was presented as a loose-cannon drug-dealing weirdo but was a very loving and compassionate friend. This type of duality is the character work needed to nail Bobby Drake in the MCU and Quinn has tangible experience doing so.
3 Lucas Hedges
Is Lucas Hedges too accomplished of an actor for the MCU? One could argue that's the case, but Hedges probably wouldn't turn down a role simply due to the series it is. He'd likely want to see the script and if it was well-written and worthwhile there's a good chance he'd be interested.
Now, the X-Men in the MCU might not be as emotionally-wrecking Boy Erased or Manchester by the Sea, but that doesn't mean Hedges couldn't turn in a performance as Bobby Drake that wouldn't rival those. He's too talented of an actor for Marvel Studios not to have at least had numerous conversations with him regarding any sort of role, so here's hoping Iceman was an opportunity floated to him.
2 Joe Keery
Stranger Things has managed to launch the acting careers of many performers thanks in large part to both the success and quality of the show. Joe Keery has emerged as a standout character despite being originally introduced as a selfish jerk in the first season. Playing Bobby Drake in the MCU wouldn't be his first big Hollywood role, but it'd be the most challenging considering everything Iceman has to deal with.
The jokester angle is something Keery would nail during the audition process, but it's the emotional and personal battles Bobby has internally where Keery would be able to showcase his range in a way he hasn't been able to fully yet.
1 Mizero Ncuti Gatwa
Between Sex Education and recently being announced as the next iteration of the Doctor in Doctor Who, Mizero Ncuti Gatwa's schedule has never been busier. He managed to capture the attention of audiences thanks to his charming and authentic performance as the best friend of the lead character in Netflix's Sex Education. Representation is so important in media, and with Gatwa having experience playing a dynamic gay character, he feels like the best person to take on the role of Bobby Drake's Iceman.
The beauty of the X-Men coming to the MCU is that the studio can make some bold and interesting choices. The layers of having to deal with how society at large treats those identifying as non-heterosexual, the black community, and mutants added on top of that won't be an easy performance, but Gatwa seems talented and earnest enough to take on the challenge.