James McAvoy played Professor Charles Xavier in 2011’s X-Men: First Class and it has been a character that became synonymous with him. The actor has been asked several times if he’d like to reprise the role, and every time he says yes so long as the story is good.
Now, the star wants to give a twist to Professor X in case he gets to portray him again on the big screen. The mutant leader has always been a symbol of good morals, but what if he turns evil? McAvoy toys with the idea in his mind.
James McAvoy Hopes To Play An Evil Professor X
While attending the San Diego Comic-Con 2024, actor James McAvoy spoke with Collider and shared his own take on Professor X. Surprisingly, he wants to tap into the character’s wicked side.
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.
He believed that Marvel Studios “will do tons with that character” and he could not wait to see what they have in store for him. The Scottish star knows the beloved comic book figure is in good hands and it is “still a part that is just so ripe for exploration for whatever lucky actor gets to do it.”
Fans surely could not imagine another actor playing the iconic role other than him. When asked about his willingness to play Charles Xavier in the upcoming X-Men reboot, he told Screen Rant:
If I’m going to go back and play a character I’ve already played? I would want to be a new, different reinterpretation or newly explored version or something like that.
He echoed the same sentiment, but McAvoy also feels like the studio is “moving on, they’re doing new things” or might want a new, fresh face for the role. Regardless, he’s open to negotiation if the script is good.
Did Professor X Become Evil In The Comics?
It’s difficult to imagine an evil Charles Xavier, but in Immoral X-Men #1, readers get a glimpse of the character that McAvoy wants for Professor X. The villain Sinister infected the Quiet Council with his own DNA, and ten years later, the Earth is ruled by ruthless and unscrupulous mutants.
Sinister’s DNA seemed to have transformed Xavier into evil, but it turns out, the darkness has always been inside him. The infection was just a way to strip him of his pretense of morality. This might interest McAvoy in finally reprising the role in MCU’s version of X-Men. It’s also a unique storyline that hasn’t been done in the Fox movies.
For the past few years, Marvel Studios has struggled with box office earnings following the underwhelming performances of Eternals and The Marvels. An X-Men reboot with evil Professor X could bring in the cash to offset profit losses.
X-Men: First Class is available to watch on Disney+.
