James McAvoy’s Disappointing Update on His Return as Professor X Reveals a Grim Truth About X-Men’s Future in the MCU
- James McAvoy expressed uncertainty about reprising his Charles Xavier role from the earlier 'X-Men' movies in the MCU.
- McAvoy hinted that Marvel might go with new interpretations of the X-Men, although he remains open to returning.
- While McAvoy is skeptical about his return, he has shown interest in exploring darker aspects of Charles Xavier.
The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the latest Deadpool & Wolverine also hinted at the return of some. But as fans wait for the return of their favorite mutants, one big question that arises is whether Disney wants to bring back the same characters of 20th Century Fox.
James McAvoy’s portrayal of young Charles Xavier in the 20th Century Fox’s X-Men films has been a fan-favorite pick to return. His Professor X character was a balance of wisdom and wit, which became a highlight of the later X-Men movies.
James McAvoy’s Uncertain X-Men Future in MCU
Recent comments from McAvoy seem to have broken all the hopes of his fans, and it looks like the future of the X-Men in the MCU might be heading in a different direction.
James McAvoy first appeared as Charles Xavier in 2011’s X-Men: First Class. He brought a fresh energy to the role, showing Xavier as a young, idealistic professor with a bit of a wild streak. Over several films, fans watched him grow into the wise leader of the mutants.
But will McAvoy possibly reprise his role again in the MCU? In a recent interview with IMDb, when asked about his potential return as the beloved mutant after Deadpool 3, he said,
I’m almost certain not. But then stranger things have happened. ‘Cause anything I say is like ‘oh blah blah blah..’ so no, I don’t think so.
McAvoy is almost certain he is not going to return. He echoed similar sentiments during an interview with Screen Rant at San Diego Comic-Con, where he confessed that he feels that Marvel is now making a fresh start. He said,
But I feel like they’re moving on, they’re doing new things, and they’re going to do great things. They always do. But I would never say no to something if I’ve not seen a script, and I would never say yes to something if the script was really bad.
Although McAvoy hasn’t completely shut the doors, he mentioned that it is important for him to offer something new with his character, and it will be only possible if the script is good enough.
Marvel seems to have a completely fresh start with previous 20th Century Fox movies. The Fantastic Four: First Steps has new faces. However, it might be because the earlier adaptations didn’t work and the audience didn’t build any connection with a particular character.
However, the case is different with the X-Men franchise, as it was a hit mostly, and Marvel might consider having a fresh start with some familiar faces.
How Professor X Might Return to MCU
In a conversation with Collider, McAvoy revealed he would love to explore a darker side of Charles Xavier which was not explored in the previous X-Men movies. He said,
I’d love to take him [Charles Xavier] evil. You’d love to take him bad. You’d love to make him go AWOL. There’s tons you can do with that character, which is what they will do. Marvel will do tons with that character, and I cannot wait to see what they do with it. It’s in good hands. It’s still a part that is just so ripe for exploration for whatever lucky actor gets to do it.
Apart from that, Deadpool & Wolverine did set up possibilities of mutants’ return in the MCU. In that case, McAvoy’s Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender’s Magneto might appear in Avengers: Secret Wars, as it will be like a finale of the MCU’s multiversal saga.
Even if McAvoy doesn’t return as the original version of Professor X from past X-Men films, he might appear as his variant, just like Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Also, his idea for an evil Xavier holds possibilities for some interesting storylines.
All past X-Men movies are available to stream on Disney+.
