Excitement has been high amongst Marvel fans ever since Marvel Studios announced that the MCU would be introducing the X-Men. Social media has been full of speculation; from what characters would be introduced, to how they'd enter the MCU, to who would play them, to what storylines from the comics would make it to film. One of the many groups of mutants that fans hope make it to the MCU screen for an X-Men project is the infamous group of villains, the Brotherhood of Mutants.
The Brotherhood of Mutants is a group of mutants devoted to the cause of mutant superiority over humans. There have been various iterations of the group, with varying ideologies and ranges of political motivation, but they are generally one of the main adversaries to the X-Men. Magneto first formed the Brotherhood, with the original line-up including Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Toad, and Mastermind. Other members of Magneto's brotherhood over the years included Astra, Blob, Unus, Lorelai, Burner, Lifter, Peeper, Shocker, and Slither.
Other villains later formed their own Brotherhood, but the most well-known would be that of Mystique. Her team originally featured Blob, Pyro, Avalanche, Destiny, and Rogue. Later versions included Sabretooth, Toad, Post, the Martinique Jason Mastermind, Lady Mastermind, and Silver Samurai II. With so many versions of the team and many characters to choose from, which characters should make up a Brotherhood featured in the MCU? And additionally, what actors would be a great choice to play them?
Magneto
Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. Magneto, seems like an obvious choice to join an MCU Brotherhood of Mutants. Along with being the founding member of the original Brotherhood, Magneto is a very well-known and much beloved X-Men character. An extremely powerful mutant who can generate and control magnetic fields, Magneto is notorious for his belief that mutants are superior to humans. This passionate belief is usually the source for his rift with the X-Men, and with Professor Xavier in particular. Magneto could make the ideals and goals of the Brotherhood explicitly clear to the audience with his first appearance, and also possesses enough gravitas and conviction as a character to position the Brotherhood as a dangerous threat.
In previous X-Men films, Magneto was portrayed by the legendary Ian McKellen, and later as a younger man by the very talented Michael Fassbender. A powerful and emotional character, whoever plays Magneto needs to not only be able to do the character justice but live up to the standards set by McKellen and Fassbender. If the MCU were to go for a younger Magneto, Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been a fan favorite choice, as he has proven he can play truly despicable and yet sympathetic villains. On the other hand, actor Cristoph Waltz would be an excellent choice for an older Magneto. He is massively talented and can be charming while also terrifying.
Mystique
Also known as Raven, shapeshifting mutant Mystique would be another natural choice for an MCU Brotherhood of Mutants. While she can transform into any other person, her natural blue form makes her one of the most iconic and recognizable characters in the X-Men universe. As the head of the Brotherhood of Mutants, one of her original goals was to assassinate anti-mutant politician Senator Robert Kelly, although she was stopped by the X-Men. This is just one indication of how her Brotherhood is more politically involved and motivated than Magneto's iteration. In an MCU X-Men film, Mystique could function as one of the members of the Brotherhood alongside Magneto, could be the head of the group herself, could take control after Magneto, or any combination of these things.
Mystique has historically been played by actresses Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence. If the MCU were to cast along the same vein, Charlize Theron could make a great slightly older Mystique, or actress Samara Weaving could portray a younger version. Charlie's Angels star Ella Balinska would be an excellent choice.
Toad
It wouldn't make much sense to have the Brotherhood of Mutants without Toad. A member of most versions of the Brotherhood, Toad also ran his own version of the team at one point in the comics. Toad would be a fascinating addition to the MCU. With his prehensile tongue, acidic saliva, and otherwise reptilian abilities, there is no character like Toad in the MCU right now. He is strange, a bit pathetic, and also a tragic character in a lot of ways. Toad could be a source both of comedy and of genuine emotional scenes in the MCU.
Toad is a difficult character to portray. He was played by martial artist Ray Park in earlier films, an actor capable of capturing Toad's unique physicality. While actors like Paul Dano or Keegan Michael-Key could make interesting Toads acting-wise, they would have to put a lot of work in to capture the way he moves.
Mastermind/Lady Mastermind
Jason Wyngarde, or Mastermind, is one of the other founding members of the Brotherhood of Mutants. He possesses the ability to generate complex telepathic illusions, ones strong enough to make people not only see and hear but smell, feel, and taste things that don't exist. Despite such interesting and fantastical powers, Mastermind has yet to be seen on the big screen, so this would be an opportunity for the MCU to be the first to introduce an X-Men character in a live-action project. They could also introduce his daughters, who also later join versions of the Brotherhood and possess the same powers, if not stronger. His daughter Martinique Jason takes on the name of Mastermind, while Regan Wyngarde goes by Lady Mastermind.
With no other live-action Masterminds to be compared to, the options for casting the role of Mastermind are wide open. One of the most popular fancasts is Aiden Gillen, who is best known to many for playing the duplicitous Littlefinger on Game of Thrones. The talented actor certainly has proven he can play a villain. Another interesting option could be actor Ken Watanabe, who would be a valuable addition to the MCU. Various young actresses could do a great job at playing one of Mastermind's daughters, including Jamie Chung, Arden Cho, or Elle Fanning.
Scarlet Witch
Wanda, or Scarlet Witch, is one of the few Brotherhood of Mutants characters to already exist in the MCU. Played by Elizabeth Olsen, the MCU's Scarlet Witch possesses enormous power, but is not exactly a villain. Wanda's entry into the Brotherhood of Mutants in the comics is not exactly for villainous reasons, however--she joins because Magneto saves her from a mob convinced she's a witch, and her brother Pietro joins in order to protect her. While this exact storyline would not align with the current status of the MCU, it wouldn't be out of character for Wanda to team up with the Brotherhood of Mutants for her own purposes.