The X-Men’s arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could take years. But that won’t stop us from sharing the ten actors who could be the new Charles Xavier. X-Men fans have been eager for the MCU to do its take on the team of mutant heroes. There have been slight tastes of that happening, with Patrick Stewart appearing as Professor X in the second Doctor Strange movie and Hugh Jackman reprising Wolverine in Deadpool 3. However, the MCU will inevitably reboot the X-Men with younger actors playing both Wolverine and Charles Xavier. So, who could be the new Charles Xavier in the MCU? The following ten actors are great choices.
1) Bryan Cranston
We may have grown to hate Walter White in Breaking Bad, but we can’t deny that Bryan Cranston did a terrific job in the role and even made baldness look badass. That, along with his superb acting skills, has made him a fan-favorite to take on the role of Charles Xavier. It wouldn’t be Cranston’s first time mentoring young superheroes. He portrayed Zordon in the 2017 Power Rangers movie. He could carry that wise old sage persona over to the MCU as Charles Xavier. However, he could also carry some Walter White-style intensity and arrogance to the role, making for a much edgier Professor X. While there’s no indication that he’s even discussed anything with Marvel, the thought of what he could do in this role is exciting.
2) Giancarlo Esposito
If Bryan Cranston wants to play Charles Xavier, he may have to battle an old enemy for the role. Giancarlo Esposito received acclaim from critics and audiences alike for portraying Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He also played Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. While he’s got a knack for playing villains, Esposito is ready to take on a good guy role. He told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, “I want to play a good guy. Charles is smart. He’s good. But I feel 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.”
3) Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci has a recognizable face, but he transforms into his characters so perfectly that you forget it’s him. We loved him as the flamboyant Caesar Flickerman in The Hunger Games and abhorred him as a vicious killer in The Lovely Bones. Now many are eager for Tucci to transform himself into Charles Xavier in the MCU. Tucci would undoubtedly make a great Professor X. He may even infuse some Flickerman energy, giving the character some eccentricity. One little setback is that Tucci already appeared in the MCU as Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger. However, much time has passed since that film, and Tucci’s magnificent acting can make the two characters seem miles apart.
4) Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes has been an S.S. Officer in Schindler’s List, M in three James Bond movies, and a famous evil wizard in the Harry Potter series. He’s also not above doing lighthearted comic book stuff, having voiced Alfred in The LEGO Batman Movie. Should he add Professor X to his impressive resume? If his past performances have shown anything, he can bring the same kind of sophistication and intensity to the character that we got with Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. And as his work as M in James Bond illustrated, he knows how to play a leader. Perhaps he can carry that same skill to the MCU as Charles Xavier.
5) Colin Firth
Quite frankly, Colin Firth has been excellent in almost everything he’s done, from The King’s Speech to Pride and Prejudice to A Single Man. And he’d very likely make an excellent Charles Xavier. Firth did a terrific job mentoring Taron Egerton’s young spy in training in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Last year, Egerton was in talks with Marvel to play Wolverine. While Egerton has said he doubts he will go through with the role at this point, the idea of seeing this pair reunited does sound appealing.
Or, maybe Egerton could reunite with another Kingsman co-star.
6) Mark Strong
Mark Strong is typically known for playing villains, which he thoroughly enjoys. Such villains have included Sinestro in Green Lantern, Frank D’Amico in Kick-Ass, Henry Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes, and Thaddeus Sivana in Shazam! Yet he also proved an excellent ally to Taron Egerton’s Eggsy in Kingsman. With his charisma and his intensity, he has the potential to be an amazing Charles Xavier. Although Strong has typically been typecasted as a villain, we’d love to see him branch out a bit more as Professor X, giving him a chance to showcase his range. Also, Strong’s villain streak may make him appropriate for the role, as Professor X has done some awful things.
7) Gary Oldman
This is our most unlikely entry since Gary Oldman plans to retire after his run on the TV series Slow Horses ends. But that’s not going to stop us from dreaming. Oldman is yet another actor who completely transforms into his characters. Try to wrap your mind around the fact that he has been Sid Vicious, Sirius Black, Commissioner Gordon, and Winston Churchill. Marvel would luck out with an actor of such high caliber and prestige playing Charles Xavier. Oldman can do no wrong, and there’s no doubt he would put some spin we’ve never seen before on the character. Again, the chances of it ever happening are low, but here’s hoping Oldman has second thoughts about retiring.
8) David Oyelowo
Aside from being a great superhero series, the X-Men franchise touches on themes regarding discrimination and dehumanization of certain people groups. David Oyelowo received high praise for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, and he could bring some of that energy to Charles Xavier in the MCU. Oyelowo portrays characters marked by compassion and empathy. Charles Xavier is a mentor, father figure, and advocate for his fellow mutants. Oyelowo is certainly more than capable of taking this beloved character on. He’s a little busy with the Apple TV+ series Silo and other projects, but MCU’s X-Men entry seems to be years away.
9) Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons has taken on a wide range of roles. He earned an Oscar for Reversal of Fortune and voiced a legendary Disney villain in The Lion King. He’s also no stranger to comic book movies. Irons played Alfred Pennyworth in three DCEU films and Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias in HBO’s Watchmen. While there’s been no clear indication that he’s leaving the DCU, the overhaul happening with James Gunn’s leadership has the franchise’s future in foggy territory. If Irons does end up leaving DC, Marvel would be lucky to have him. He’s got the skills to be a great Charles Xavier.
10) Daniel Craig
Some actors want to break free from franchises, but Daniel Craig seems to recognize how lucky he is to have led two of them. He ended his 15-year run as James Bond in 2021, but he’s re-establishing himself as Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out franchise. So, why not dip his toe into a superhero franchise as well? While some may feel he would bring too much of his Bond-like suaveness to the character, Craig’s range goes far beyond that. All he needed to do was put on a Foghorn Leghorn-style accent for Knives Out, and we forgot that this actor was James Bond. Daniel Craig is a character actor in disguise, and he could use that skill to make an excellent Charles Xavier for the MCU.
So, which actor should play Charles Xavier in the MCU? Any of the above actors would make ideal choices for the role of Professor X in a rebooted X-Men.
