by Sally Jackson
Professor Charles Xavier is getting a facelift, losing several years, and is transforming from Patrick Stewart into James McAvoy.
Huh?
Ok, let’s clarify. What’s really going on, according to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Heatvision Blog, is that James McAvoy has been cast to play the younger Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, the Matthew Vaughn-directed prequel to Bryan Singer’s X-Men, where Patrick Stewart originally played the role.
According to Fox studios, X-Men: First Class will “chart the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were the closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.”
This is hardly the first forray into superheroes for either McAvoy or director Vaughn. Vaughn directed this spring’s Kick-Ass, and had previously directed Stardust. In addition, he had been attached to direct both Thor and X-Men: The Last Stand before the directing duties were handed over to Kenneth Branagh and Bret Ratner.
For McAvoy’s part, he played the role of Wesley Gibson in Wanted.
No word as to whether or not McAvoy will adopt the classic bald-headed look for Xavier in the film.
Original X-Men director, Bryan Singer, will produce X-Men: First Class, and worked closely to develop the story for the film. All of which brings a great deal of fan that this will bring the franchise back to the heights it achieved with the first two films.
(Source: Heatvision Blog)
An intriguing choice, to be sure. McAvoy’s got the resume that would make one think he can pull this off. They ABSOLUTELY need to go full monty on the hairlessness, though. It’s a Professor X trademark, even from his younger days.
This is going to sound weird, but look at the left eyebrow in the picture you included. Now, imagine a chrome-dome above that. I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely seeing an Xavier-style look.