Just before filming is about to get underway next month on X-Men First Class we get some last minute additions to the cast, Moira McTaggart by Rose Byrne and the far less known Azazel by Jason Flemyng.
“Damages” star Rose Byrne is in talks to join the cast as MacTaggert, “a scientist and an authority on genetic mutation. She’ll be the love interest of James McAvoy, who plays mutant telepath Charles Xavier.” The last time we saw MacTaggert, she appeared in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand and was played by Olivia Williams.
We’ve also got another mutant joining the party in the form of Azazel. He’ll be played by Clash of the Titans star Jason Flemyng. In the comics, Azazel is a demon-looking teleporter who is revealed to be the father of Nightcrawler, who was originally played by Alan Cummings in X-Men 2: X-Men United.
I really like the idea of having Moira McTaggart in this as she was an early love interest for the ever lonely Charles Xavier, and Rose Byrne playing her works for me. The girl is plenty pretty, and I really hope she can pull of a heavy Scot accent, which is a trademark of the character. She wasn’t an official X-Man, however she does play a part in the history of the franchise as a geneticist and confidant.
Azazel is a surprise thought. A relatively recent addition to the X-Men universe in a 6 ish arc last year), but an appropriate one to add since it was revealed that he was the biological father of Nightcrawler and we already have Mystique cast in First Class.
So does Mystique hook up with Azazel in First Class? Kind of changes the perspective about Nightcrawler and Mystique meeting in X-Men 2 doesn’t it.
I just hope they just go with the whole “I am a mutant that just happens to look like a demon” thing instead of the story arc in the books which was pretty weak.
