Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito is no stranger to playing villains, but when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor hopes to portray a hero with X-Men leader Professor X.
Marvel Studios will reboot the X-Men franchise after Avengers: Secret Wars is released, with the expectation being that a soft reboot will make it so that these characters call Earth-616 home. It's a little too soon to think about casting, of course, but Esposito remains a fan-favourite choice for the role.
The actor has expressed an interest in playing Charles Xavier on several occasions, and in an interview with Fade To Black, Esposito revealed one element of this character he isn't quite so keen on.
"I've given it a cursory glance in my brain, and immediately I go 'Hmm,'" he revealed. "'[It would] be great to play Professor X in some other incarnation that just the wheelchair. Right? Because 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."
"But certainly, we could figure something out maybe," Esposito continued. "Professor X wasn’t always in the wheelchair but that is part of his character development. So, I think about it a little bit but I don’t give it all of my thought because it would have to come to me."
While Xavier's wheelchair is an iconic part of the character's portrayal, it's also something we've seen done on screen for decades now. Recent comics have shown Charles walking again, so there's really no reason a reboot couldn't do the same.
It was also put to the actor that many fans would like to see Denzel Washington play Magento. "I think it would be great," he enthused. "I think it would be great."
Professor X was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and is the founder of the X-Men, a team of mutants who fight for peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans. As a mutant himself with powerful telepathic abilities, Xavier is a leading authority on genetics and mutation. He runs Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where he trains young mutants to control their powers.
The character has occasionally headed down the route of being an antagonist, leading the X-Men to move on without him. For example, we've seen Cyclops step up and lead the team in the Professor's absence, a direction the MCU could also choose to head in.
Do you think Esposito would be a good pick for the MCU's Professor X?