Laurence Fishburne Wants to Play Professor X in the MCU’s X-Men Reboot
The Matrix star Laurence Fishburne just threw his name into the mutant mix, and honestly, Marvel should probably give him a call right now.
During a Matrix panel at New York Comic Con, Fishburne revealed one of his dream roles, and it’s a big one. “I know that they’re talking about the X-Men now,” Fishburne said (via Entertainment Weekly).
“So, at this point, I want one of two things. The first thing would be: what do you think about Laurence Fishburne as Professor X?”
The crowd immediately erupted, fully supporting the idea of Fishburne trading in his sunglasses for Charles Xavier’s iconic wheelchair. Fishburne admitted he hadn’t nailed down what his second dream role might be but made it clear it wouldn’t involve a trip to a galaxy far, far away.
“Star Wars is something that I just enjoy from my couch,” he shared, adding that he’s currently making his way through the animated series Star Wars Rebels.
If Fishburne did step into the role of Professor X, it wouldn’t be his first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He previously appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp as Bill Foster, which would put him among a growing list of actors who’ve tackled more than one role in the MCU.
That roster also includes Gemma Chan (Eternals, Captain Marvel), Michelle Yeoh (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage, Blade).
Marvel Studios has confirmed that an X-Men reboot is officially in the works, with Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier attached to helm the project.
No casting announcements have been made yet, but the idea of Fishburne as Professor X would be an wild way to kick off this new era of mutants in the MCU.
Meanwhile, some familiar X-Men faces will pop up in Avengers: Doomsday. As for Fishburne, he’s next set to appear in The Witcher Season 4 as the barber-surgeon Regis.
If Marvel’s listening, it seems like a lot of fans would love to see Laurence Fishburne lead the next generation of X-Men.