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Charles Xavier to be Recast for X-Men First Class
Patrick Stewart IS Professor Xavier. Back in the day when Wizard Magazine used to run a feature that called for dream casting for comic books to movies (long before anyone thought an XMen film would even be possible) Stewart was always cast as Xavier. Its perfect.
But with X-Men First Class exploring a Younger Xavier building his school and introducing his first small group of recruits to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Xavier will be recast.
CinemaBlend says:
TrekMovie caught up with Stewart at an Australian Trek convention where he revealed that he doesn’t expect to be involved in Singer’s franchise prequel. It doesn’t sound like he isn’t interested since he adds that “working with Ian again would be wonderful”, rather it’s that he doesn’t expect to be needed.
It does make sense that they would want a younger actor considering the time frame. But I imagine he wont be TOO young (though there may be a flashback scene or two)
I suspected they would pick up First Class right after the closing moments of X-Men Origins Wolverine where an Xavier guides the fleeing children to a helicopter and meets Scott Summers for the first time. Stwart played him there, but once again youngified digitally as he was in Last Stand.
I think Michael Rosenbaum could play a solid younger Prof X who isn’t too young to make the logical step from First Class to the graduated X-Men who serve as teachers at Xavier’s school.
Patrick Stewart IS Xavier.
Well Edward Norton with a shaved head springs to mind, but that one’s very unlikely and Anthony Edwards is probably too old for the role. So if they do go with a different Prof X then Michael Rosenbaum does sort of fit the bill. But I would prefer Patrick Stewart to return.
I think Tom Hardy would make a great younger version of Xavier, if you remember he played a younger version of Captain Pickard in Star Trek Nemesis.
He actually looks a lot like Patrick Stewart so I think he’d be a better choice than Edward Norton.
Would Michael Rosenbaum shave his head again? He said if he would return to do one episode on smallville he would have to wear a bald cap.
What has he done since Smallvile anyway?
Practically nothing. I would love to see Rosenbaum in as Professor X. He & Allison Mack were my favorite 2 parts of the show.
Too bad… Patrick Stewart is the only Xavier for me, but should be interesting who they pick…
Surprised that nobody has mentioned Tom Hardy yet. After all, he did play a cloned younger version of Picard in ST:Nemesis and kinda pulled it off.
“I think Michael Rosenbaum could play a solid younger Prof X”
Rodney, you could not be more… wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
I’m sorry, just flat out wrong. What are we basing that off of? His shaved head for Lex Luthor on Smallville? C’mon. you can do better than that. While it’s not out of place anymore for actors to play different roles based on characters from comics, a shaved head Rosenbaum is pushing it. Nothing against the actor- but I have to strongly disagree on the geek casting choice. It’s bad. Just bad.
I was never a fan of the CGI botox de-ager and with makeup to make the actors look younger would be better. I never quite got it. I look at Stewart now - in my view he has aged well. He doesn’t look much older now that he did in the first season of Next Gen, much less 1984’s Dune. But the sad reality is that if he were to return for First Class, the morons would throw that CGI facelift over him and I HATE that. I HATE that.
So recasting seems like a better alternative. (No, sort of take that back. X Men 4 is the better alternative.) Anyway…
I would probably lean towards someone like…
Jason Isaacs.
Think about it.
I agree that the Rosenbaum pick was a little uninspired… Jason Isaacs looks the part though, good choice.
Jason Isaacs looks more like Timothy Dalton than Patrick Stewart.
Tom Hardy, I say.
in regards to the numerous “Stewart is the only Xavier” comments…
I seem to recall similar rants when Christopher Nolan was attempting to “re-cast” The Joker. Something along the lines of “Nicholson is the only Joker”
Lets open our minds a little here.
I agree, EVERY actor can be replaced.
I think you have to take that with a grain of salt though. When most people say that it’s out of respect for the job that specific actor did with the role, I’m sure most people who say that aren’t really saying “no actor will ever be good with that character ever again, ever.” and if they are then they only hurt themselves by closing their minds to new talent.
I definitely wasn’t one of those against Ledger as Joker though, I didn’t even like Nicholson’s joker…
Get the guy who played Picards clone in Star Trek Nemesis to play Xavier…done and done.
How bout a bald ryan reynolds :-)
All part of Reynolds’ plot to overthrow the comic book movie industry one character at a time? I think so.
The picture included in this story look Caviezelesque…why not him?
I’m open on this one..
BUT they got their Prof. X already IMO
I was never a fan of the CGI botox de-ager and with makeup to make the actors look younger would be better. I never quite got it. I look at Stewart now – in my view he has aged well. He doesn’t look much older now that he did in the first season of Next Gen, much less 1984’s Dune. But the sad reality is that if he were to return for First Class, the morons would throw that CGI facelift over him and I HATE that. I HATE that.
Charles Xavier to be Recast for X-Men First Class: Patrick Stewart was my first choice in playing the good professor. In the First Class the X-Men are younger and I would think the Professor would need to younger. I would cast Billy Zane as the younger Professor X. Just take a look at Billy in his current TV Show The Deep End.