Laurence Fishburne made waves when he expressed his interest in playing Professor X. He explained that he’s aware that the MCU’s first X-Men movie is in the works, and posed the question “What do you think about Laurence Fishburne as Professor X?” Well, I’m certainly interested in that idea, so when I interviewed the actor, I asked him why he’d like to play the iconic Marvel hero.
When Laurence Fishburne explained that he’d love to play Professor X at New York Comic Con, his comment went viral, and people started to wonder what it’d be like to see him in the iconic role. It’s pretty easy for me to picture him as the leader of the X-Men, and honestly, I’d love to see his take on the character. So, when I interviewed him for CinemaBlend about his latest project, The Witcher Season 4, I also brought up this viral statement he made. I asked why he loved the character so much, and in response, he told me during:
Well, I’ve been a Marvel comic fan since I was a boy. I’ve aged out of most of the other characters that I would have loved to have played when I was a younger man. And [Professor X] feels like that would be the appropriate thing for me to do. If, you know, that opportunity to present itself, if they were to consider me, I would love to do it. In the meantime, even if I don’t get to do it, I’m looking forward to more of what Marvel is doing.
You hear that, Marvel? I think that’s some solid reasoning, and I think we should make it happen somehow. As he said, he’s the right age for the role, he’s got the passion and the look, and from my point of view, he has the perfect energy and gravitas to play Charles Xavier.
Now, I realize Laurence Fishburne has already appeared in the MCU (he played Goliath in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription). I also realize that Patrick Stewart is part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, and we’ll get to see him as Charles Xavier when that upcoming Marvel project premieres next year. So, on the surface, this dream of Fishburne’s seems like it could be far-fetched.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I mean, Chris Evans played Johnny Storm in 2005’s Fantastic Four before he was Captain America, and then he reprised his role as the Human Torch in Deadpool and Wolverine, which is part of the MCU. Michelle Yeoh had roles as different characters in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, too, and the list does not end there. So, the idea of Fishburne playing another MCU character after he played a role in Ant-Man’s story isn’t out of the question.
On top of that, it’s unclear who will be cast in Jake Schreier’s X-Men movie. While many original X-Men actors are set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s perfectly possible that a new ensemble of actors will be cast to play the heroes in a standalone film. What can I say? When you’re working with the multiverse, anything is possible.
I guess all there is to do now is hope that something comes from this manifestation Laurence Fishburne seems to be doing. He clearly has the passion for Marvel and this legendary role, and it feels like he’d be the perfect person to take over the mantle of Professor X. However, only time will tell, and while we wait to see if this dream becomes a reality, you can watch him in his newest project, The Witcher Season 4, with a Netflix subscription starting October 30.