Empire actress Grace Byers has been cast in season 2 of FOX’s X-Men spin-off series, The Gifted. Byers’ character will tie into the new storyline involving the mutant civil war brewing between the Hellfire Club and the Underground.
Grace Byers is known for her role as Anika Calhoun in the FOX musical drama series, Empire, which is set in the world of hip-hop. Byers was a series regular for four seasons. Byers’ exit from the series came in the season 4 finale, when her character was written out.
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FOX has announced that Grace Byers will play the character of “Reeva” in season 2 of The Gifted. Byers’ character is set to team up with Polaris (Emma Dumont), the Frost sisters (Skyler Samuels), and Andy (Percy Hynes White) in the Inner Circle. FOX describes Reeva as “a smart, charming, authoritative, elegant, beautiful woman who is ruthless in her efforts to fight for her people. She leads an elite band of followers and has a soft spot for her new recruits, but is still capable of extreme violence in defense of her vision.“
It appears that Byers’ character will play a pivotal role in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, a prominent – yet secret – mutant organization with a rich history in the comic books. Similarly, The Gifted‘s Hellfire Club has a deep backstory that goes back decades, possibly even centuries. We know that the grandfather and great-aunt of Reed Strucker were key members of the Hellfire Club and well-known terrorists who called themselves “Fenris”. The Hellfire Club and the Strucker twins didn’t believe that mutants coexisting with humans was a realistic goal, and instead sought open conflict with humans by committing acts of terrorism.
Polaris’ father, Magneto – who has never been mentioned by name in the series – was also a member of the group. In the season 1 finale, Polaris made a shocking decision to abandon the Underground and follow in her father’s footsteps by siding with the Inner Circle. She was joined by Andy and a few others. It’s unclear what will happen to Andy and Polaris now that they’re a part of the Hellfire Club.
Judging by FOX’s description of Byers’ character, she will play an important role in Andy and Polaris’ future. Being a person with a “soft spot for her recruits“, it’s possible that Byers will attempt to mentor the two mutants and help shape them into capable members of the Inner Circle. The character description may also indicate that Byers could become the season’s main villain. If Reeva is willing to partake in acts of “extreme violence“, she could become a deadly foe for both the Underground and human kind.
More: The Gifted: Every Marvel Comics Character In Season 1
The Gifted season 2 premieres this fall on FOX.
