Giancarlo Esposito shares his thoughts on playing Professor X.
Key Takeaways
- Giancarlo Esposito wants to refresh Professor X’s role, not keen on the wheelchair aspect.
- Esposito excited about possibly teaming up with Denzel Washington as Magneto, stirring fan enthusiasm.
- Upcoming X-Men content on Disney+ and Deadpool & Wolverine movie signal a vibrant future for the franchise.
Esposito shared his mixed feelings about the famous character. He highlighted fan castings online and expressed his desire for a fresh perspective on Professor X, particularly critiquing the character’s traditional portrayal in a wheelchair. Esposito remarked:
“The physical idea of being in a wheelchair every single day does not appeal to me. I just don’t feel that old, and I don’t like to sit that much.” In his talks with Amon Warmann.
Big fan of both our interviewees this week, and really enjoyed these chats. I'm also very here for Giancarlo Esposito's Professor X take (and it would be excellent casting). Full chat here ➡️ https://t.co/laAscIlKWq https://t.co/lfbPm04WBh pic.twitter.com/WtK5sPYwGt
— Amon Warmann (@AmonWarmann) March 10, 2024
The potential for Esposito and Denzel Washington to collaborate again, following their partnership in Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues, this time as Professor X and Magneto has sparked considerable excitement among fans.
“I think it would be great. I think it would be great,” Esposito enthusiastically repeated about the notion of Washington taking on the role of Magneto.
Giancarlo Esposito thinks him as Professor X and Denzel Washington as Magneto “would be great.”
(Source: @AmonWarmann) pic.twitter.com/4fVn6ESriG
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 11, 2024
The performances of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender as Professor X and Magneto have significantly contributed to the legacy of these characters. Stewart and McKellen originally brought these characters to life in the X-Men film series that began in 2000, with Stewart playing Professor X and McKellen as Magneto.
McKellen’s portrayal of Magneto was complemented by Fassbender’s role as a younger version of the character in the prequel films, starting with X-Men: First Class in 2011.
Similarly, Stewart’s Professor X was given a youthful counterpart in McAvoy’s performance, beginning in First Class. Both sets of actors brought these characters together in X-Men: Days of Future Past, offering a unique blend of the past and future of the X-Men universe.
Meanwhile, Esposito is engaged in several projects, including the horror movie Abigail, the slasher flick MaXXXine, and the sci-fi epic Megalopolis.
With the distinguished histories of Magneto and Professor X as portrayed by McKellen, Fassbender, Stewart, and McAvoy, the potential involvement of Esposito and Washington offers an exciting prospect for the future of the X-Men within the MCU.
