Eastenders star Ben Hardy has The X-Men Factor

Ben Has The X Factor.

Ben Hardy joins X-Men Apocalypse: EastEnders star to play ‘key role’ in superhero movie.

Ben Hardy has joined the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse

The EastEnders actor – whose bowed out of the BBC One soap as Peter Beale during last Tuesday night’s episode – will play a key role in the upcoming superhero movie.

It is not known which character he will play but it was previously reported that Hardy was up for the role of Cyclops in the film, before Tyler Sheridan was announced as playing the mutant.

Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner was also unveiled as playing Jean Grey in the film, a role originally played by Hemlock Grove actress Famke Janssen.

Alexandra Shipp, best known for playing Aaliyah in the Lifetime biopic Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, will portray Orora Monroe otherwise known as weather goddess mutant Storm.

It was also recently confirmed that Sir Patrick Stewart would not reprise his role as Professor Charles Xavier in this film.

He explained: “Yes, I understand that it seems to be very unlikely that I will be in the next X-Men movie, which is almost getting ready to start shooting in Montreal.”

Despite the lack of Professor X in the new film, Stewart did reveal that Sir Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Magneto in the production.

Stewart told Oregon Live: “Magneto, Ian McKellen, is certainly going to be in it.

“And what I’m very excited about is that we have been talking about a Wolverine movie, which would team Hugh Jackman and myself together.

“Wolverine and Professor Xavier. That would be a very different sort of X-Men from the four movies that I’ve already done.”

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender will all return for the film, which is being directed by Bryan Singer.

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