Giancarlo Esposito is finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but unlike what the rumors were saying earlier this year, he won't be playing an X-Men character. One of the most popular fantasy casting for the 66-year-old actor was Professor Charles Xavier, but he will instead debut in the MCU as an unidentified character in Captain America: Brave New World.
Esposito talked about the potential casting in a recent interview with ComicBook.com to promote the release of his newest film MaXXXine. While there are no plans for the Breaking Bad star to play Professor X in an upcoming X-Men project, Esposito said that he "loved" the idea, saying that he would have been "great" in that role. He also brought up how he'd been suggested for other potential characters he could play in a Marvel or DC film before being cast in the upcoming Captain America film.
"The fans really started the Professor X rumor and I loved it. I went along for the ride because I love the fans," Esposito said. "I started thinking about Professor X, because I feel like that could be a character that I would really excel at, and really be great in. They also talked about Magneto, they also talked about [DC's Mr.] Freeze, all of those things. I am so happy to be in the MCU. I'm happy that you don't know what I'm doing there and I'm happy that I probably don't know what I'm doing there, but I'm happy to be there and you're going to see it soon."
Giancarlo Esposito wanted to put a twist on Professor X portrayal
In a previous interview with Empire's Amon Warmann, Esposito discussed what he'd like to bring to the role of Charles Xavier if he were to be cast as the X-Men leader. The actor said that the idea of spending so much time on a set every single day was not appealing to him.
"I've given it a cursory glance in my brain and immediately thought, I go, 'It would be great to play Professor X, in some other incarnation than just a wheelchair,' because the physical idea of being in a wheelchair every single day, does not appeal to me," Esposito said. "I just don't feel that old and I don't like to sit that much but certainly we could figure out something, maybe. Professor X wasn't always in the wheelchair, but that is part of his character development."
Esposito's role in Captain America: Brave New World hasn't been revealed yet, but the film is already set to release in theaters on February 14, 2025. MaXXXine is scheduled to hit theaters on July 5, 2024, and it's described: "In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past."
