Who Is Maya Boyd? Everything to Know About Marvel’s New Storm in ‘X-Men’ Reboot

Marvel Studios has officially found its new Storm. At Disney’s D23 fan event on Friday, Aug. 14, 23-year-old Broadway star and viral talent Maya Boyd was announced as Ororo Munroe for the upcoming “X-Men” reboot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you’re unfamiliar with the rising talent bringing the iconic mutant to life, here is everything you need to know.

Popular on TikTok

Boyd has been a prominent creator on TikTok since 2021, building a following of over 450,000 thanks to her skits, viral videos featuring her family, and clips of her singing. Her passion for performing has always been on display on her page, so it’s safe to say her followers have been along for the ride that ultimately led her to play Storm.

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A Broadway Star

Two years after creating her TikTok page, Boyd made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical “Merrily We Roll Along,” playing the supporting role of Mimi. According to the theater publication Theatrely, Boyd was a senior at Michigan State University at the time, finishing up her studies in musical theater. And her studies more than paid off.

Per the actress’s interview with Theatrely, Boyd landed the lead role in “& Juliet,” performing eight shows a week from April 2024 until June 2025 after her stint as Mimi.

Most recently, she has been starring as Molly Cunningham in August Wilson’s play “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” directed by Broadway icon and “A Different World” star Debbie Allen. Boyd credits Allen with igniting her passion for musical theater after attending her dance academy at age 13. The play also features a cast of heavy-hitters, including “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson and iconic comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer.

Becoming the MCU’s Storm

Though Maya Boyd has been killing it on Broadway and building a fanbase on social media, playing Storm in the upcoming “X-Men” reboot will mark her feature film debut. The only other actresses who have played the weather-manipulating superhero on the big screen are Halle Berry in the original “X-Men” films of the 2000s and Alexandra Shipp in “X-Men: Apocalypse” (2016), “Deadpool 2” (2018), and “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” (2019).

While Halle Berry received wide praise for her portrayal of Storm, many X-Men fans have criticized the franchise for not capturing the character’s comic book origins, given that Storm is portrayed as a dark-skinned woman and Berry is not.

Comedian KevOnStage has been among those vocal about the casting, stating, “Now I loved Halle Berry, and I know why they cast her, to sell tickets. [But] Halle Berry was too light to play Storm. No more light-skinned Storm.”

Maya Boyd’s casting seems to be hitting the right note with fans, as social media users on X have been celebrating the choice, with one writing, “She’s darkskin, pretty, and a Broadway star !!! Perfect.”

Another user noted that Boyd’s casting feels reminiscent of how Hollywood greats like Denzel Washington and Viola Davis launched their acting careers in the theater.

“I’ll say this… Maya Boyd being cast as Storm reminds me of when Hollywood would pull gifted actors straight from the theater and turn them into stars. Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, and Christopher Walken all came from strong stage backgrounds. Sometimes you don’t need 20 movie credits. You just need somebody who can ACT,” wrote @YallLuvCris.

A third user celebrated Boyd’s casting alongside David Johnson’s casting as Black Panther, writing, “Inject it into my veins!!”

While fans online are excited to see how the actress handles the role, Boyd has kept her initial response short and sweet, posting on Instagram: “It’s an honor to be your Storm.”