Giancarlo Esposito has announced his desire to be the MCU‘s Professor X, and his previous villain roles prove that he’d be a perfect fit for the heroic X-Men leader. MCU Phase 4 continues to expand the scope of the franchise considerably, and with Ms. Marvel confirming mutants in the MCU, it’s only a matter of time before the X-Men are introduced. After years of X-Men movies existing independently of the MCU due to Fox owning the rights to the characters, the iconic heroes will finally join Hollywood’s biggest franchise. The burning question now is who exactly will be cast to fill the high-profile X-Men roles.
One actor who has shared his interest in the part of X-Men leader Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, is Giancarlo Esposito. So far, Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy have filled the role in live-action movies, but Esposito’s casting would bring something fresh and interesting to the character. One thing that makes Esposito stand out is that he rose to prominence with villainous roles, including drug kingpin Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, and Stan Edgar in The Boys.
As Giancarlo Esposito makes a great villain, it may be difficult to envision him in the heroic role of Professor X. However, it’s exactly the qualities that make Esposito a good villain that make him an excellent fit for the leader of the X-Men. Esposito’s calm stoicism has been used to create multiple exceptional villains, but it’s also a quality that could lend itself brilliantly to the telepathic leader of the MCU’s mutants.
Giancarlo Esposito’s Professor X Could Be Just What The MCU Needs
Giancarlo Esposito’s calm and collected screen presence has allowed him to become an unforgettable villain, but it would also translate well to the role of Professor X in the MCU. The franchise’s heroes are generally characterized as larger-than-life figures who offer up consistent opportunities for light comedy, so a more stoic approach to the leader of the mutants in the MCU would be a refreshing change. What’s more, if any MCU character needs to break its established hero mold, it’s Professor X, as he’s typically a more serious figure than most Marvel heroes.
Interestingly, Professor X’s role in many Marvel stories could actually make use of Giancarlo Esposito’s villain experience. As the leader of the X-Men, Professor X is one of Marvel’s most prominent mutants, and he often finds himself at odds with other heroes, particularly the Avengers. Though there’s no indication of a clash between the Avengers and the X-Men any time soon, it’s possible that the goals of the MCU’s mutants will not always match up with those of the Avengers. This would allow Esposito’s villainous streak to subtly shine through, as he’d be both a potential ally and a potential threat to the existing heroes of the MCU.
Esposito’s casting would allow the MCU to explore Professor X’s darker side, as the actor is well-versed in playing complex characters with even more complex goals. This is something that previous X-Men movies have shied away from, which means that Esposito’s casting would be perfect on multiple levels: he’d bring the talent necessary to do the character justice, and also the potential for something new and exciting. Though he may be known for playing villains, Giancarlo Esposito might just be the perfect Professor X for the MCU‘s X-Men.