Actor James McAvoy, who played Professor Charles Xavier in Fox’s X-Men universe that relaunched with X-Men: First Class and then merged timelines with Days of Future Past made it clear he has no intention of returning to the role unless he sees a “good script.”
Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and Lucas Till as Havok in X-Men: First Class (2011), 20th Century Fox
While speaking on the red carpet at one of the various awards shows to Entertainment Tonight, McAvoy said, “Anything I say will get me in trouble on something like that.”
However, he added, “I’ve had no contact from them. If they wanted me to come back, they need to talk to me. Need to be a good script. They need to want me. All that stuff. So when stuff like that happens or doesn’t happen. That’s the reality of it.
@entertainmenttonight James McAvoy is keeping his lips sealed about making a return in the Marvel Universe 🤐 #jamesmcavoy #xmen #mcu ♬ original sound – Entertainment Tonight
READ: Rumor: Marvel’s Initial Idea For X-Men Is To “Focus More On The Female Members Of The Team”
McAvoy certainly knows the sting of a bad script when it comes to playing Professor X. He portrayed the character in 2019’s abysmal Dark Phoenix film as well as X-Men: Apocalypse.
He also has been part of some great X-Men film such as the aforementioned X-Men: First Class, which is arguably the best X-Men film of them all right there with X2: X-Men United. His performance in X-Men: Days of Future Past was also stellar.
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class (2019), 20th Century Fox
In Dark Phoenix, McAvoy’s character of Professor X is blamed for putting the X-Men in danger by Mystique for tasking them to rescue a number of astronauts who had become stranded in space.
Jennifer Lawrence’s character would also lecture him saying, “And by the way, the women are always saving the men around here. You might wanna think about changing the name to X-Women.”
Xavier would also face the consequences for lying to Jean Grey about her past and erecting psychic walls to keep the truth from her. It would come to a boil as she’s possessed the Phoenix and becomes unstable.
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class (2019), 20th Century Fox
Maybe the most interesting part of McAvoy’s answer is that he is demanding a good script. The idea that actors are now spurning questions about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe or reprising their roles of past Marvel characters was unheard of just five years ago. Now, McAvoy makes it abundantly clear he won’t return unless it’s a “good script.”
It’s another piece of evidence that shows just how far the Marvel Cinematic Universe brand has fallen since Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios is no longer seen as a place with good scripts or a launchpad to a successful career in Hollywood. In fact, it seems like it might be a risk to play a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now.
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class (2019), 20th Century Fox
The perfect example is Brie Larson, Larson’s career has seemingly dried up already. She won an Academy Award for her role as Ma in Room back in 2015, but since joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Captain Marvel in 2019, she hasn’t really had any major roles. And her most recent film in the MCU was the worst performing film of the entire franchise with The-Numbers reporting the movie hasn’t even grossed $200 million yet.
She had a minor role in Fast X last year and voiced Envy Adams in Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Other than that she’s done a bunch of Nissan car commercials.
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL.
However, McAvoy did just appear in The Book of Clarence, so maybe he doesn’t really have any room to demand films with good scripts. The film only grossed $3 million at domestic theaters and has an abysmal B Cinema Score rating.
#TheBookofClarence – it earned a solid B! Have you experienced it on the big screen? Share your thoughts with us below! #Cinemascore pic.twitter.com/J5ZZQxNqWk
— CinemaScore (@CinemaScore) January 13, 2024
What do you make of McAvoy’s comments?
NEXT: America is Over the MCU: Fantastic 4 and X-Men Lost Their Audience Years Ago
