X-Men: First Class cast starts to get firm: Magneto, Beast, etc.

Matthew Vaughn’s prequel X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is dashing toward production faster than Quicksilver (or Northstar, or some other speedy Marvel mutant), so the cast is coming together quickly.

As was previously reported, actor Michael Fassbender (300, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) was being pursued for both the role of Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto in the mutant spinoff, and the main villain part in Sony’s SPIDER-MAN reboot. Now Deadline says that Fassbender just got an official offer for Magneto and “Fox is confident they will make a deal and have him join James McAvoy, who was recently set to play [Charles] Xavier.”

Deadline also says that Fassbender recently read with young actors Aaron Johnson (KICK-ASS), Andrew Garfield, Jack Huston and Eddie Redmayne, in undisclosed roles. Their names join the rumored Amber Heard and Rosamund Pike.

Meanwhile, Showbiz411 says that young actor Benjamin Walker will be playing athletic genius Henry McCoy, a.k.a. Beast (sorry furfans, it’s the pre-blue version of the character). Walker appeared in KINSEY and FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, but has been receiving raves for his recent stage work in “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”.