The X-Men: First Class cast is really starting to shape up nicely. James McAvoy is Charles Xavier, across from Michael Fassbender as Magneto. Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Jason Flemying, Rose Byrne and others have also been cast, bringing together a top notch ensemble. Now here’s one more addition. Earlier today we received word from Blog De Superheroes that Álex González has been cast as 'Riptide,' a mutant who can spin at incredible speed, releasing calcium-growth from his bones at high speeds.
The character of Riptide first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #211, and has subsequently been featured in a number of X-Men comics. The villain was originally member of the Marauders, a team of villains brought together by the mutant thief Gambit at the request of Mister Sinister. He's since died on at least three occasions, only to have been brought back through cloning. As he was never featured during First Class's era of canon, this doesn't really reveal much on how the character will be utilized in the film.
Álex González has had roles in a number of Spanish language productions, and is probably best known for his part in the film Sunday Light.
X-Men: First Class will be directed by Mathew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick-Ass), and will be a prequel to the X-Men trilogy. The movie takes place during the 1960s and will parallel the history of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X using Xavier and Magneto. The original team, with the exception of Beast, will not appear.
