Director Michael Vaughn (Kickass) is putting all the pieces in place for the upcoming film X-Men: First Class.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, actress Rose Byrne will play Moira Mactaggert, a scientist who specializes in genetic mutation. The X-Men will be younger than we have previously seen them on film.
Byrne has played opposite Glenn Close on the FX series Damages for three seasons. She earned two Emmy nominations for her work on that series. She also took a comedic turn as a dim-witted British pop-singer in Get Him To The Greek, with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill.
Byrne will play the love interest of Charles Xavier, played by James McAvoy. Other cast members include Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon, and Michael Fassbender.
Shooting for X-Men: First Class will begin in late August. It is tentatively scheduled to be released in the summer of 2011.
