Speaking to Empire’s Amon Warmann, Giancarlo Esposito recently revealed his condition for portraying Professor Charles Xavier — not being bound to a wheelchair.
Esposito, who has been vocal about his desire to join the MCU, mentioned in the interview that while he is open to playing the role of Professor X, he is not keen on the idea of the character being wheelchair-bound. Touching upon his personal preferences, the actor stated:
“I’ve given it a cursory glance in my brain and immediately thought, I go, ‘It would be great to play Professor X in some other incarnation than just a wheelchair,’ 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 we could figure out something, maybe. Professor X wasn’t always in a 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.”
The actor also responded positively to the possibility of acting alongside Denzel Washington, who could potentially portray Magneto, Professor X’s friend turned rival.
You can watch the interview below.
Big fan of both our interviewees this week, and really enjoyed these chats. I'm also very here for Giancarlo Esposito's Professor X take (and it would be excellent casting). Full chat here ➡️ https://t.co/laAscIlKWq https://t.co/lfbPm04WBh pic.twitter.com/WtK5sPYwGt
— Amon Warmann (@AmonWarmann) March 10, 2024
Esposito Has His Own Vision For Professor X
Historically, Professor X has been portrayed by actors such as Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy in the 20th Century Fox X-Men film series, with Stewart reprising his role most recently in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ (2022).
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963, the character is the founder and leader of the X-Men, known for his pacifist ideals and telepathic abilities. In a previous interview, Esposito revealed his vision for Professor X, saying:
“I’d play that character with force, grace, and a calm. Someone who controls the chaos, but someone who also has the ability to uplift and inspire.”
Back in 2022, the ‘Breaking Bad’ actor confirmed that he was in talks with Marvel about a potential role in the universe and said the character he would wish to play was Professor X. You can watch his full statement below.
@countdowncitygeeks #giancarloesposito announces which character he may play in themarveluniverse! #superherocarshowandcomiccon #fyp #foryourpage #celebfanfest #comiccon2022 #marvel #countdowncitygeekcast #sanantoniotx
