Deadpool & Wolverine has officially opened the door for the X-Men characters to join the MCU after saving Earth-10005. As a matter of fact, Marvel Studios is now working on its X-Men reboot, with Michael Lesslie writing the script. While it remains to be seen if it will feature new cast members or the original ones, James McAvoy seemingly confirms he will not be part of it.
In an interview with BuzzFeed UK, McAvoy discussed some of his most iconic roles, including Charles Xavier / Professor X. Starting in the prequel X-Men: First Class, he continued to reprise the role in Bryan Singer’s 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, and Simon Kinberg’s 2019 X-Men: Dark Phoenix. He also made a cameo in David Leitch’s 2018 Deadpool 2. However, as the franchise is being remade, he seems convinced he won’t receive a call.
“Although I suspect with both those characters [Narnia’s Mr. Tumnus and Professor X], we will be seeing someone else play those roles as they’re both getting remade imminently,” he said. “Without me.”
Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot is still in its early stages, and no cast members have been announced yet. However, Patrick Stewart made his surprising cameo as an alternate variant of Professor X in Sam Raimi’s 2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though he later died after the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) tore his head off and killed him in the real world. As for McAvoy, he hasn’t reprised the role yet since Dark Phoenix, and it looks like he’s ready to move on.
Who could be the new Professor X in Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot?
So far, details about Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot are under lock and key. As one of the highly anticipated movies from the franchise, the studio, known for keeping things a big secret, it may take a little while before an announcement is made. However, a new actor may take on the role now that McAvoy is seemingly out of the picture and Stewart died in Doctor Strange 2.
One of the most popular fan castings is Giancarlo Esposito. Famous for his villainous roles in Breaking Bad and Star Wars: The Mandalorian, it may be the right time for the fan-favorite actor to be on the light side and play the iconic Professor X. Esposito himself has already expressed his interest in taking on the role, though he has one condition.
“It would be great to play Professor X in some other incarnation than just the wheelchair, right?” he said on Amon Warmann’s Fade to Black podcast. “Because the physical idea of being in a wheelchair every single day does not appeal to me.”
Esposito clarified that using a wheelchair isn’t an issue for him, admitting he doesn’t feel comfortable sitting in it. He explained that he doesn't feel that old yet and doesn’t like to “sit that much.”
“But certainly, we could figure something out,” he suggested. “Maybe. Professor X wasn't always in the wheelchair, but that is part of his character development.”
Though McAvoy seemed like the perfect actor to lead the new X-Men, given his great performance in the prequel series, his latest interview subtly suggests that he will not return as Professor X. With the mixed reviews the prequels received, Marvel Studios may opt for a new slate of actors to portray a new generation of mutants.
