BREAKING BAD Star Giancarlo Esposito Reiterates His Interest In Playing The MCU's Professor X

BREAKING BAD Star Giancarlo Esposito Reiterates His Interest In Playing The MCU's Professor X

Better Call Saul star Giancarlo Esposito has reiterated his interest in playing Professor X, explaining that he's desperate to play a good guy. Despite that, Magneto and Mr. Freeze remain of interest!

By JoshWilding - Jan 12, 2023 07:01 AM EST
Filed Under: X-Men

Giancarlo Esposito is, without a doubt, phenomenal at playing villains. We've seen that in everything from Breaking Bad to The Boys and Far Cry 6, but it appears The Mandalorian star is ready to be a hero. 

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Esposito reiterated his desire to bring Professor X to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also namedropping Magneto and Mister Freeze as two villains he would also consider lending his talents to. 

"I love what Marvel does. I love that the fans can see me in this universe and are proposing not only one character, possibly Magneto, possibly [Mister] Freeze," the actor says in the video below. "And the biggest ask is Charles Xavier. But, look, I want to play a good guy. And Charles is smart. He’s good."

"I feel as if there may be some mileage with me and Marvel. I know I love what they do. I know I love creativity. So, who knows what could happen. Keep putting it out there."

We find it hard to believe Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige hasn't taken note of these repeated comments, and it would be a major missed opportunity to not work with him in some capacity down the line. Professor X has often been portrayed as somewhat morally ambiguous, meaning it would be a great role for Esposito to sink his teeth into. 

Marvel Studios appears to be in no rush to reboot the X-Men franchise, though the prevailing theory is that they'll be a huge part of the next Saga of storytelling after Avengers: Secret Wars

The current Krokoa era of comic books would be a clever way of putting a fresh spin on the team, though there will be fans who want to see a classic take on them as well (which may be too similar to what Fox did with the characters).

Check out the full interview with Esposito in the player below. 

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FilmGuy7878
FilmGuy7878 - 1/12/2023, 7:50 AM
YES. I'm honestly so happy he's so passionate to play Xavier. I can't imagine anyone else playing him in the MCU. Giancarlo really deserves a sorta hero role.
TheyDont
TheyDont - 1/12/2023, 7:51 AM
I like him, but he's wrong colour for that role.
Toonstrack
Toonstrack - 1/12/2023, 10:00 AM
@TheyDont - What do you mean? Hes literslly the same species as professor X. Hed be fine.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 1/12/2023, 10:28 AM
@Toonstrack - Did you just call Giancarlo Esposito a mutant ?
Toonstrack
Toonstrack - 1/14/2023, 1:44 AM
@OrgasmicPotatoe - i mean he could be. But a mutant is a subspecies of human
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 7:51 AM
Out of the three he mentions, I think I wanna see him as Freeze the most.

With Xavier or Magneto, it fully depends on the direction they're going. I kinda hope that they make Magneto a second- or third-generation Holocaust survivor. There is so much story to tell with generational trauma, and I think Esposito could pull that off.
FilmGuy7878
FilmGuy7878 - 1/12/2023, 7:57 AM
@bkmeijer1 - While I do think Esposito can pull off Erik really well, he could really bring a sort of cryptic demeanor to Xavier. Xavier can be pretty f-d up in the comics and he could really bring that skewered moral compass to the screen.

My casting for Magneto has been Mathew Modine. He has the right look for it and he has a patient, negotiable demeanor to him that can immediately switch to rageful and almost authoritarian when he's rubbed the wrong way.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 8:01 AM
@FilmGuy7878 - both of those could work as well. And given they're almost the same age, I can definitely see it
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/12/2023, 8:12 AM
@bkmeijer1 - While I like him as Freeze (although the white make-up can be..."problematic"), I want the man to play something else than a villain.

Also, you cant make Eirc an Holocaust survivor, he cant be freaking 100.
The fact they are going for black actors for those roles is a sign they are taking a different aproach to them, which I dont mind, there is a lot to explore there...the only problem is that they already kind basically did that with Killmonger.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 1/12/2023, 8:29 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - what do you mean by did that with Killmonger?
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 8:44 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - that's why I suggested second- or third-generation survivor. Instead of him having lived through, his (grand)parents have passed it on to him through upbringing (consciously and unconsciously).

Think generational trauma is an interesting angle, as it both keeps that Holocaust backstory and makes it more contemporary.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/12/2023, 8:48 AM
@bkmeijer1 - I dont know if you can sell Erik's HATE with him being a second or third generation Holocaust survivor.

@Slotherin - A villain who isnt actually a bad person, but he is mad because of the racial injustices he faced in the past.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 8:56 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - if all his parents raised to trust nobody, everybody was bad, cannot be trusted, etc., I'm pretty sure that will carry over.

Through his parents, he still knows what happened to the Jews and how that experience was. His motivation then could be that he doesn't want to go through the same thing as his parents, and for him the only solution is that mutants thus have to dominate humans.
superbigguy32
superbigguy32 - 1/12/2023, 11:07 AM
@bkmeijer1 - Magneto doesn’t have to be a second or third generation Holocaust survivor. He could stay the way he is in the comics as a Holocaust survivor. In the comics he uses Project Rebirth to stay young. That’s a good way to tie him into Captain America, The Red Skull, WW II, and The Holocaust. And X-Men: Evolution also had an episode about all of this.
superbigguy32
superbigguy32 - 1/12/2023, 11:10 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - He still can be a Holocaust survivor and 100 years old.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 11:12 AM
@superbigguy32 - didn't even think about that. Could work.

Just think it's worth it to change it up a bit to something more contemporary that we haven't seen before. Doesn't have to be what I suggested though.
superbigguy32
superbigguy32 - 1/12/2023, 11:18 AM
@bkmeijer1 - I think that’s not a good idea. I say keep them comic accurate. People are getting tired of the changes of these characters for no reason. People have wanted a comic accurate X-Men for years. And to do something different will turn some fans off. I’m really worried about X-Men and Fantastic 4. I’m getting turned off by these movies now.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 11:46 AM
@superbigguy32 - with people, I guess you man comics fans. And doing things differently might indeed turn them off.

Thing is, everybody and their moms watch these movies now. It's equally, if not more important to appeal to the entire audience demographic. And going woke doesn't mean going broke, it means the opposite.

But yeah, I agree some things really feel like they're done for no reason. But I don't mind it, I'll enjoy it for what it is and not dislike for what I want it to be but isn't.
superbigguy32
superbigguy32 - 1/12/2023, 1:59 PM
@bkmeijer1 - Thing about that, if you leave everything comic accurate all those normies who don’t know these comic characters would still watch these movies. Changing of these characters is just a cop out for trying to be “inclusive” and “diverse” or whatever BS got people thinking this stupid way. There are so many stories and characters there’s no need for this at all.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/12/2023, 2:38 PM
@superbigguy32 - depends on who you ask if there is a need. And seeing how things are being changed, I guess there is a majority that wants it.

But honestly, the majority probably doesn't even care. Like you say, they will watch it anyway.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 1/12/2023, 7:55 AM
I like Giancarlo, great actor.

But maybe not best suited to Xavier.. That property is all about race and diversity with the sci fi backdrop. They can tell the meaningful stories within that universe without the obligitory woke check boxes.. saying that i would like to see him play a good guy though. To often is he cornered on being a dope as villian.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 1/12/2023, 7:58 AM
@UniqNo - I'm already not the biggest fan of race swaps, but X-Men is already a pretty diverse team. It really doesn't need the swaps.
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