Laurence Fishburne isn’t giving up hope of playing a beloved X-Men hero one day — even if the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s plans for the franchise are already in motion.
A new X-Men film is set to be directed by Jake Schreier and is rumored to be released some time after Avengers: Secret Wars hits the big screen in late 2027. Despite the fact that the Matrix star, 64, has already made an appearance in the MCU as former S.H.I.E.L.D. member Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Fishburne revealed that if there is ever another X-Men reboot that wipes the slate clean and starts the franchise fresh, he would “love to be considered” to helm the role of Professor Charles Xavier.
“I am what I like to describe as a true believer when it comes to all things Marvel Comics and the MCU,” he told ScreenRant in a recent interview. “At the age that I am at now, I feel that Professor X is probably the most appropriate thing for me to do if I were lucky enough to be cast in another Marvel picture.”
During a sit-down with ComicBook.com, Fishburne also shared that he’s been reading comics since he was six years old and growing up in New York, so many roles have become close to his heart over the course of his life.
“Those writers and those artists were talking about things that were happening in the city that I was growing up in. So, of course, there are many characters in the Marvel Universe that I related to that I wished I could have played when I was younger. But I’m very, very pleased with the way that the movies have been cast. I’m very, very pleased with the way that they have played out. I’m a huge fan of all of those movies.”
This isn’t the first time that Fishburne hinted at wanting to bring a fresh spin to Professor X. While attending New York Comic Con on Oct. 12, the Hannibal actor teased to the crowd of cheering fans that he’d be interested in following in Sir Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy’s footsteps as a new version of Professor X if he were ever given the chance.
‘X-Men’ Stars Will Return for New ‘Avengers’ Film
Professor X, Jean Grey, Storm, Cyclops, and Wolverine in X-Men (2000).20th Century Fox
Fans of the 20th Century Fox iteration of X-Men will be excited to learn that they’ll see some of their favorite characters — and their original actors — in Avengers: Doomsday. It’s been confirmed that Stewart will reprise his classic role as Professor X, while Ian McKellen will make his grand return as Magneto. Other familiar faces include Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and Kelsey Grammar as Beast.
Aside from the original cast members, Channing Tatum, who starred as Gambit in Deadpool and Wolverine, will also make an appearance. The Magic Mike actor, 45, was initially cast as the card-wielding mutant in 2014 and was in development for a standalone film for several years before the project was canceled after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. 10 years after Tatum was first cast, he was finally able to bring the character to life — an experience he said he would “owe” Ryan Reynolds for “probably forever” in a statement shared to social media.
“I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he fought for me and Gambit…I’m not sure how I could ever do something that would be equal to what this has meant to me. I love ya buddy…All things happen for a reason.”
Release Date
July 13, 2000
Runtime
104 minutes
Director
Bryan Singer
Producers
Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Richard Donner
Franchise(s)
Marvel, X-Men
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