X-Men fans were more hyped than ever after Samara Weaving was cast as Emma Frost, but they got even more geeked after discovering that she’s a very serious gamer.
Samara Weaving is your new Emma Frost. Beyond her astonishing resemblance to the glamorous mutant (that face card could not be more perfect for Emma), she’s also a loveable goofball and a massive gamer, something that came back to light once news of her casting hit the internet.
Back in March, Weaving spoke with IGN alongside fellow Ready or Not 2 star Kathryn Newton about their shared love for video games, revealing a wide variety of favorites that included Assassin’s Creed, Red Dead Redemption 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and even Mortal Kombat.
“I like an open world,” she told us, going on to say that her Mortal Kombat main is Kitana.
“I’m really good at it,” she said of the fighting game series. (Speaking of which, her friend, Jessica McNamee, plays Sonya Blade in the recent movies).
And in June 2026, Weaving gushed about her gaming habits in an episode of Polygon’s Shelf Quest, revealing that she hauls her PS5 with her everywhere she goes.
“All my jobs, I pack my PlayStation 5 in my suitcase, which is insane. It takes up half the suitcase and no one can lift it and they all hate me. But I bring it to every AirBnB and hotel that I stay at,” she told the outlet while standing among the crowded shelves of Videogamesnewyork.
In the interview, she revealed that her parents didn’t allow her to play video games growing up, saying she often played at friends’ houses when she could. She also reiterated her love of open world games, citing all the exploration and free-range roaming they allow.
But when it comes to fighting games, Weaving says they just ‘speak’ to her, saying she finds great success quite easily in both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter.
“[Mortal Kombat] and Street Fighter, surprisingly, [I] was really good, really quick. I can beat a lot of people at Mortal Kombat. I don’t know why. It speaks to me, especially the chick with the fans — Kitana — I’m really good at Kitana. She’s my gal. She’s my fave.”
These interviews have sprung back up into the public consciousness, prompting no end of excitement and jokes as fans wait anxiously for more news on the X-Men reboot film.
“Imagine you’re getting your ass kicked by a Kitana, and it’s her,” one wrote on X.
“She’s rapidly climbing up the ladder of my fav actresses!” another said.
“Maybe she plays Marvel Rivals and plays Emma Frost,” yet another speculated.
While we can’t know that for certain just yet, we do have a few more details about the upcoming X-Men reboot film, directed by Jake Schreier. A number of other roles are currently undergoing casting, which reportedly began back in May, leaving fans even more hopeful for spot-on casting news in the near future.
With D23 set for August 14-16, there’s a good chance Marvel will reveal what it’s got up its sleeves, especially since it was so tight-lipped during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
Image Credits: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images / NetEase Games, Marvel Games
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
