Now that Disney has bought Fox Studio, the X-Men franchise by the studio is effectively over. X-Men have been vital in launching blockbuster movies based on comic books. According to Nerdist, some even claim that the original X-Men is the most important superhero movie. Not only were they important for the comic book movie genre, but also brought a lot of our favorite comic characters to life. One of the most popular characters of the franchise is Francis Xavier aka Professor X.
Professor X
Sometimes depicted as the leader and founder of the X-Men, Professor X was a mutant born with telepathic abilities. He can read and control others’ minds. To shelter and train humans like him, Professor X runs a private school, X-Mansion. Xavier also strives to make it possible that humans and mutants can live together harmoniously. While there is anti-mutant bigotry widespread in society. Professor X for most of his history is known to be paraplegic and uses a modified wheelchair.
In live-action movies, the character has been portrayed by two noted actors – Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. In the first three X-Men films, Patrick Steward portrayed the character. While James McAvoy played the younger version of the character in the later films. When two actors play the same role, it is natural that they get compared. Let’s compare and see who was a better Professor X.
Patrick Stewart
Sometimes actors fit into a whole as if it was written just for them. That was the case with Patrick Stewart when he played Professor X. Many fans of the X-Men franchise claim that Patrick Stewart looks exactly like the comic book character. They say the actor has the same stoic look, wisdom, accent, commanding presence, and everything the character has. This is a popular opinion that there is no better actor-character match out there.
The actor has reprised the role several times for the X-Men Franchise including Logan. In an interview with Digital Spy, the actor revealed that Kevin Fiege had a conversation with him to reprise the role. Though he himself said it might not happen as he like how Logan wrapped up. But having a discussion with Kevin Fiege shows how influential he was in the role.
James McAvoy
As already mentioned, James McAvoy played the younger version of the character. He brought an entirely different side of Professor X on the screen. The actor first appeared in X-Men: First Class, a prequel film of the franchise. Most fans agreed that McAvoy did a great job playing the character. Professor X was a flawed character with an ego driving his decisions. With his self-justification for all his actions, the actor did a great job portraying it.
Though the fans do not consider McAvoy’s portrayal to be as accurate as Patrick Stewart’s. But McAvoy brought out the egocentric side of the character that was seen in him in the comic books. In fact, Professor X has been a more central character in movies made in McAvoy’s tenure. This allowed him to explore more depth of the character.
Fans like Stewart’s Portrayal over McAvoy’s
Both the actors brought out different sides of the character. And it is near impossible to decide who did it better. Still, Stewart’s performance in Logan is what wins the actor the edge. The actor playing a much older version dealing with dementia was highly praised. But it is not the final statement, as both actors have done a great job bringing different versions of the character to life.
Related: 5 Villains Fox’s X Men Nailed And 5 Who Failed!
