X-Men Rumor: Bill Skarsgård And Patrick Wilson Eyed To Play MCU's Professor X

X-Men Rumor: Bill Skarsgård And Patrick Wilson Eyed To Play MCU's Professor X

The latest X-Men reboot rumour suggests It star Bill Skarsgård is in talks to play the MCU's Professor X, though Aquaman's Patrick Wilson may also be in the mix for Charles Xavier.

By JoshWilding - Jul 14, 2026 07:07 AM EST
Filed Under: X-Men

Following the news that Star Wars' Adam Driver is set to play the X-Men reboot's Magneto, insider @MyTimeToShineH is reporting that It: Welcome to Derry star Bill Skarsgård is also in talks to join the movie.

The scooper believes he's in line to play the MCU's Professor X, though Knight Edge Media has added that that's a role Watchmen star Patrick Wilson is also being eyed for.

Either one of them would arguably be a good fit for the leader of the X-Men, and this could ultimately come down to who Marvel Studios believes will make the better foil for Driver's Master of Magnetism. Both actors would bring something very different to the role, though we don't currently know how Charles Xavier will be portrayed in the MCU.

He could be the classic Professor X who is wheelchair-bound, or something more akin to the version featured in Marvel Comics' "Krakoan Age" for the X-Men. Skarsgård is 35, while Wilson is 53. 

For what it's worth, former Nexus Point News writer @ApocHorseman has told his followers, "[Storm is] being cast right now alongside Cyclops, Rogue, and others. They don’t have anyone yet."

Skarsgård has developed a talent for his ability to disappear into complex, often unsettling characters. Chief among them is Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the It franchise, though he also counts John Wick: Chapter 4, Barbarian, Boy Kills World, Nosferatu, and The Crow among his credits. He's no stranger to the MCU after lending his voice to Kro in Eternals.

As for Wilson, after Oscar-nominated performances in Little Children and Angels in America, he's become best known for playing Ed Warren in The Conjuring universe and Ocean Master in DC's Aquaman. He was previously set to join the MCU as Darren Cross in 2015's Ant-Man, but chose to depart the project when Edgar Wright decided to no longer direct. 

Professor Charles Xavier, better known as Professor X, was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuted alongside the X-Men in The X-Men #1 in 1963. One of the world's most powerful telepaths, Xavier founded the X-Men to protect a world that fears and hates mutants while promoting peaceful coexistence between humans and mutantkind.

On screen, Professor X has been portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart, who originated the role in 2000's X-Men and reprised it in multiple sequels, Logan, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. James McAvoy later played a younger Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix, earning praise for exploring the character's formative years.

Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot is expected to be released in 2028.

About The Author:
JoshWilding
Member Since 3/13/2009
A lifelong comic book fan who grew up on Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the '90s, Josh Wilding has been contributing to ComicBookMovie.com since 2009.

While he's also written for websites like Batman-News, HeyUGuys, and WhatCulture, Josh is CBM's Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and the site's #1 contributor with nearly two decades of experience covering film and TV news (including interviews with Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Gary Oldman, Halle Berry, Jon Bernthal, Tom Welling, and hundreds more).

Based in the UK with his wife, Josh is also an avid WWE and Formula 1 fan and writes about those passions on CBM's sister sites, TheRingReport.com and FullThrottleHQ.com. Favourite superhero? Spider-Man. Favourite pro wrestler? CM Punk. Favourite F1 driver? Max Verstappen.
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Nonameforme
Nonameforme - 7/14/2026, 7:36 AM
Kinda tired of Skarsgård, ngl.
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 7/14/2026, 9:35 AM
@Nonameforme - I really do appreciate you not lying about that.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 7/14/2026, 7:42 AM
But Denzel Washington is bald too
Polaris
Polaris - 7/14/2026, 7:46 AM
Bill Skarsgård as Xavier?? Srly? 🤦‍♀️
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/14/2026, 7:53 AM
@Polaris - yeah , would be a miscast imo

However I wouldn’t take this as anything official until the trades such as Deadline , THR & Variety weigh on it or Marvel themselves announce it.
gambgel
gambgel - 7/14/2026, 8:02 AM
@Polaris - one of the biggest LOL from MTTS.

Bill has villain character all over his face. There is no way he would be eyed for the menthor of the X-Men, yeah Charles has his dark side, but you all get what I mean.
Polaris
Polaris - 7/14/2026, 2:10 PM
@TheVisionary25 - It would suck sm if true (which I don't think it is, but you never know)
Polaris
Polaris - 7/14/2026, 2:13 PM
@gambgel - Yeah, he's just wrong for the character. Xavier has to look trustworthy.

I think MTTSH also said Adam Driver is going to be Magneto? Like, don't get me wrong, he's great, but as Magneto? Nope.

I'm so scared of these castings lol
MrEngrish
MrEngrish - 7/14/2026, 7:47 AM
Why they no pick up and coming Cynthia Erivo? There Professor X. Everything solve.
Vigor
Vigor - 7/14/2026, 7:50 AM
@MrEngrish - you will never be Malatrova.
Stop it
MrEngrish
MrEngrish - 7/14/2026, 7:54 AM
@Vigor - Unrike them, I can make good sentence. You slow, ah?

User Comment Image
bobevanz
bobevanz - 7/14/2026, 9:10 AM
@MrEngrish - I don't expect you to last long around here
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 7/14/2026, 7:48 AM
Wilson would be great but he's older than McAvoy, at that point just bring back McAvoy.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/14/2026, 7:51 AM
Bill Skarsgard seems like a really odd choice for Xavier so I hope that’s not true…

I could see Patrick Wilson as Charles though since he can play the decent man with a dark side well so if it’s down to the 2 then he would be my pick.

I will say though , the age range seems pretty wide which is the reason I don’t think this is entirely true atleast but we’ll see.

Also I find it weird how some have already accepted that Adam Driver is Magneto while we haven’t had any of the trades or any official news source even weigh on it yet!!.
Vigor
Vigor - 7/14/2026, 7:51 AM
Skarsgard would make a sinister Mr. Uh... Sinister
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 7/14/2026, 7:56 AM
a Patrick Wilson wood beE nice
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 8:00 AM
Those are two great, but wildly different choices. Both of those guys would nail it, bit each one would bring something different. I vote Skarsgard. He's a very...odd guy. I can see him bouncing off of Driver well, and he's close enough in age to Driver to be his peer. I assume if it was Wilson, Mags would be a former student. I also think Skarsgard would be closer to Claremont's Prof. X and word is that these new films will be heavily inspired by his run on the books. I really hope this and the Driver rumors are true, this is some fantastic casting.
To me, my X-Men!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/14/2026, 10:59 AM
@BiffDitko - He's kinda got a Charles Xavier face going by the comics (and the cartoons).
gambgel
gambgel - 7/14/2026, 8:00 AM
My source told me Leonardo Dicaprio is being eyed by Feige and Schreier for a big role too.
Either Mr. Sinister or Bolivar Trask.
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 8:02 AM
@gambgel - Dicaprio will NEVER be in a comic based movie. That's not his thing. Never gonna happen.
gambgel
gambgel - 7/14/2026, 8:41 AM
@BiffDitko - you missed my point lol
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 8:57 AM
@gambgel - which is...?
I mean good for them, giving it the 'ol College try, but Leo isn't the type to play around in those sandboxes. Maybe, MAYbe Cameron could have gotten him for Spidey a loooong time ago. But like S.E. Hinton said "That was then, this is now."
bobevanz
bobevanz - 7/14/2026, 9:09 AM
@BiffDitko - they're making a joke about how all these stupid rumors mention a popular actor until next week when it's someone else
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 7/14/2026, 9:12 AM
@BiffDitko - He’s making a joke about how these scoopers say anything based on ‘sources’
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 9:13 AM
@bobevanz - OOOOK
LOL
Look at me, taking everything seriously haha.
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 9:56 AM
@gambgel - I certainly did! Lol. 🤣
BackwardGalaxy
BackwardGalaxy - 7/14/2026, 8:06 AM
Wilson isn't a terrible choice if you're going for a depiction similar to the cartoon version. Skarsgard I don't get, but he's a talented actor. I'd want to see what he does with it first. Also, he had a cameo in Deadpool 2, which I guess is kinda sorta MCU canon now. Zeitgeist variant.
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 9:01 AM
@BackwardGalaxy - Believe it or not, Skarsgard is my choice for the DCU Batman. I think he could really do something great with the part. But he'd be a great Charles as well, he's...off, odd, a little creepy. Good qualities for a Psychic Mutant OR a traumatized billonaire...
deamon
deamon - 7/14/2026, 8:15 AM
Skarsgard is too young.
Wilson is 10 years older than Driver.
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 9:03 AM
@deamon - So if Wilson takes it maybe Magneto was his firat student? If Skarsgard gets the part, he and Driver are close enough in age to be peers, like in the comics. Either or would be fine.
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 7/14/2026, 8:15 AM
Out of those two, give me Skarsgård.
LSHF
LSHF - 7/14/2026, 8:15 AM
"The scooper believes..."

Based on what, exactly? Do the scoopers not need any reason(s) to back up their claims? Just curious.
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 7/14/2026, 9:30 AM
@LSHF - nope, they don’t. Apparently they just need a pretty solid “Trust me bro”.
LSHF
LSHF - 7/14/2026, 8:16 AM
Based on the comments so far, more condidates for the role are needed.
LSHF
LSHF - 7/14/2026, 8:19 AM
@LSHF - Plus the actor will need to keep shaving his head every one to three years, so that could prevent him from getting other roles, so there's that to keep in mind.
BiffDitko
BiffDitko - 7/14/2026, 9:15 AM
@LSHF - the 21st century "bald cap game" is STRONG.
DannyBrandy20
DannyBrandy20 - 7/14/2026, 8:35 AM
Skarsgard should be Danny Rand
abd00bie
abd00bie - 7/14/2026, 11:29 AM
@DannyBrandy20 - He has the crazy eyes for Legion
theFUZZ008
theFUZZ008 - 7/14/2026, 8:44 AM
Patrick Wilson is perfect.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 7/14/2026, 8:50 AM
two great actors... two very different actors... i'm indifferent but either one of them in very talented and great get... however its MTTSH so i call bullshit and do not believe this at all
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