Professor X is becoming one of the rare superhero characters to be defined by three acclaimed actors across three distinct generations of X-Men movies, which comes with an enormous amount of pressure. Patrick Stewart established Charles Xavier as mutantkind’s measured elder statesman before James McAvoy explored the idealistic, frequently troubled man he had once been. Christopher Abbott will soon inherit both versions of that history when he becomes the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) new Professor X.

Abbott joins Marvel Studios’ upcoming reboot alongside Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Maya Boyd as Storm, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, and Asa Germann as Angel. While attending the Toronto International Film Festival for the world premiere of Faith, McAvoy spoke with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff about passing the character to another actor. Having once followed Stewart himself, McAvoy understands exactly what it feels like to assume responsibility for such an established superhero role.

Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz
Which MCU Hero Are You?
Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap

Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

Spider-Man
Daredevil
Iron Man
Punisher
Thor
Cap

FIND YOUR HERO →

01
What drives you to do what’s right?
Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can’t protect themselves.
BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark.
CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I’ve learned that others depend on me now.
DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay.
EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms.
FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

NEXT QUESTION →

02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you?
Your answer says more about you than you’d think.

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.
BRunning rooftops in Hell’s Kitchen, listening for trouble.
CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby.
DStaking out a target I’ve been tracking for three weeks.
ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand.
FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn’t sleep.

NEXT QUESTION →

03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?
Every hero has a method. What’s yours?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again.
BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside.
CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins.
DMake sure they don’t escape a third time. Permanently.
EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end.
FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it’s hard.

NEXT QUESTION →

04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?
The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am.
BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face.
COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I’d do it again.
DI’m a ghost. The less people know about me, the better.
EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There’s no hiding it.
FI don’t hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

NEXT QUESTION →

05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that?
Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day.
BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting.
CI buried myself in work for years. I’m only recently learning to face it.
DIt transformed me completely. I’m not the same person I was before.
EWith warrior’s grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have.
FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

NEXT QUESTION →

06
What’s your role when working with a team?
Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up.
BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most.
CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation.
DI don’t do teams. I’m more effective operating solo, on my terms.
EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle.
FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

NEXT QUESTION →

07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?
The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.

AClearly — I don’t kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly.
BI try to hold the line, but I’ve come terrifyingly close to crossing it.
CPractically — I do what’s necessary to protect people, including hard calls.
DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won’t admit it.
EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic.
FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

NEXT QUESTION →

08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like?
The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends.
BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets.
CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I’m sleeping enough.
DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions.
ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary.
FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

NEXT QUESTION →

09
What keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.

AThe people I couldn’t save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow.
BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too.
CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough.
DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I’ve made my choices.
EWhether I’m truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect.
FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

NEXT QUESTION →

10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?
This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything.
BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going.
CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan.
DI don’t accept that it’s lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore.
ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me.
FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it’s not over.

REVEAL MY HERO →

Your Hero Has Been Identified
Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

Queens, New York

Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

Hell’s Kitchen, New York

Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.

You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.

Stark Industries, Malibu

Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.

You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.

New York City

The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.

You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.

Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms

Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.

You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers

Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.

You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

James McAvoy Wants Christopher Abbott To Find His Own Professor X

McAvoy recalled that the different identity of X-Men: First Class initially helped liberate its cast from some of the pressure surrounding the franchise. That changed once the actors began promoting the reboot, but McAvoy still believes Abbott should embrace the same opportunity to explore Charles Xavier from a new perspective. “Weirdly, did we feel the pressure when we did First Class? I don’t know,” the former Professor Xavier star said. “There was something really enjoyable about the nature of that reboot. It felt like a different kind of film, and it kind of liberated us, I think, from some of the pressure. And then we were marketing it and the pressure all hit.”
“But just enjoy it. Enjoy it, and explore. Find something. Patrick explored what he explored, I explored what I explored, and I hope he gets to do something and bring himself and bring something new to it, as well, because we can’t just watch the same character the same way for 15 films, you know? So, I hope he gets the opportunity to bring himself to it.”
McAvoy’s version of Xavier debuted in First Class before returning for Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. Those movies gave him the chance to ultimately shape a more volatile version of Charles whose optimism was repeatedly challenged by personal loss, political conflict, and his complicated relationship with Michael Fassbender’s Magneto. Stewart had already made the character iconic on the screen, but McAvoy added more to the character rather than just reducing his performance to an impression of Stewart. Abbott will now have the same opportunity as Marvel introduces an entirely new incarnation of the mutant team.

Marvel’s X-Men arrives in theaters on May 5, 2028.

Release Date

May 5, 2028

Director

Jake Schreier

Writers

Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin, Michael Lesslie

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), X-Men

Inde Navarrette

Rogue / Anna Marie

Kit Connor

Scott Summers / Cyclops

Samara Weaving

Emma Frost