MCU X-Men Art Makes Perfect Case For Giancarlo Esposito As Professor X

MCU X-Men Art Makes Perfect Case For Giancarlo Esposito As Professor X

Giancarlo Esposito is cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Professor Xavier in a new piece of fan art reminiscent of X-Men: The Animated Series.

A new piece of X-Men fan art imagines Giancarlo Esposito as Professor Charles Xavier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Patrick Stewart famously brought the mutant leader into live-action when X-Men premiered in 2000. He would go on to play Professor X seven times in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. In 2017’s Logan, Stewart, and Hugh Jackman returned to their Xavier and Wolverine characters for what appeared to be the final time.

When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, Deadpool, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men were brought under the control of Marvel Studios. After it was announced those characters would be integrated into the MCU, Stewart reprised his role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Partway through the film, its titular hero lands in an alternate reality, Earth-838. There, he’s arrested and escorted to the Illuminati, a secret society of superheroes consisting of Karl Mordo, Captain Carter, Maria Rambeau/Captain Marvel, Black Bolt, Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, and Professor Charles Xavier—who rode into frame in his iconic yellow wheelchair from X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-97). Given the fact that Stewart’s short-lived MCU tenure took place in another universe, the odds are good that Earth-616’s Professor X will be played by another actor.

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Related: The MCU Can Explore Professor X’s Dark Side That The X-Men Movies Avoided

Artist @averagejoeart on Instagram recently shared some fan art that proposes Esposito is the best choice for the MCU’s Professor X. As rumors about the actor’s potential casting circulate, this new piece imagines him as the character in cartoon form. Check it out below:

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As stated in the post, the art is meant to be reminiscent of X-Men: The Animated Series. Following the success of Disney+’s What If…?, Marvel Studios is expanding its animation department and an X-Men ‘97 relaunch is coming to the streaming service in 2023. While the show isn’t canon within the MCU, the series’ iconic theme song was utilized in Multiverse of Madness and Ms. Marvel’s recent finale. Ms. Marvel’s mid-credits scene saw Kamala Khan discover her abilities stem from an unusual “mutation” in her genes, which makes the arrival of Professor X feel all the more imminent.

Since rising to stardom as Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring, Esposito has become one of Hollywood’s go-to villains, playing antagonists in The Mandalorian and The Boys. Although fans have long lobbied for him to join the MCU as villainous characters such as the Fantastic Four reboot’s Doctor Doom or X-Men’s Magneto, it’s not hard to imagine Esposito playing a hero in Professor X. As of now, any rumors suggesting he’s in line for a haircut should be taken with a grain of salt. However, pieces like the one above will undoubtedly continue to generate a lot of discussion online.

More: X-Men’s Best Adaption Beat The MCU To It’s Smartest Trick

Source: Averagejoeart/Instagram

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Josh Plainse is a writer, movie, and television fanatic based out of Wisconsin. Josh works for Screen Rant covering the latest in entertainment while simultaneously pursuing the never-ending dream of becoming an established novelist, screenwriter, and/or decent human being. Josh would accredit characters such as Goku, Han Solo, Simba, and Maximus Decimus Meridius for instilling within him an affinity for storytelling. It is this incessant obsession which has propelled him to seek opportunities that inform, entertain, and inspire others.

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