As Deadpool & Wolverine has officially pushed the reset button on Fox’s X-Men universe, James McAvoy (who played a younger Charles Xavier) has confirmed he won’t be appearing in the MCU as the beloved character. An X-Men film is officially in development under Marvel Studios, with Michael Lesslie penning the script. It is currently uncertain what philosophy Marvel Studios will adopt for the casting process. Will the cast feature a mix of returning favorites and new faces? Or will the MCU’s X-Men be a completely fresh start? For the minute, no one knows. But, McAvoy is certain he won’t be called on to return as the character.

Speaking with BuzzFeed UK to promote his new horror movie Speak No Evil, James McAvoy seemingly confirmed his MCU future… or lack of it. Whilst re-watching clips from his past movies, the Scottish actor was asked how he imbues his own personality into the characters, making it hard to imagine anyone else playing the roles. While the actor was grateful for the compliment, he joked, “That’s very kind. Although, I suspect, with both [Mr. Tumnus in Narnia] and [Charles Xavier], we will be seeing someone else play those roles,” McAvoy said.

James McAvoy first played Charles Xavier in X-Men: Days of Future Past, which reset the X-Men timeline with a younger cast. While the newer slate of X-Men movies were met with mixed reviews from critics and fans, McAvoy’s performance as Professor X was a pleasant constant across the rebooted franchise. Sadly, while Marvel Studios hunt for their new Professor X, McAvoy won’t be returning to lead the iconic mutant team. He said:

“They’re both getting remade… imminently… without me.”

Who Could Play the MCU’s New X-Men?

Little is known about Marvel Studios’ new X-Men movie, and, its potential cast might be the most closely guarded secret in Marvel’s proverbial vault. Unlike past MCU movies like The Avengers, which comprised Marvel Comics’ B-team heroes (who have since become the most recognizable superheroes in the world), the X-Men have a long-established presence on our screens.

It’s practically impossible to appease every fan with the new X-Men casting. Some fans want to see a completely fresh cast of characters, while others want Marvel Studios to bring back all the original actors (which is a far less likely possibility). As a result, thousands of conflicting fan castings have popped up online. Regarding McAvoy’s Professor X, Mark Strong, Ralph Fiennes, and Ewan McGregor are currently the front-runners among the fan base to play the role in the MCU.

The most hotly debated fan casting revolves around everyone’s favorite X-Men hero, Wolverine. Following Deadpool & Wolverine, some fans hope Hugh Jackman will play the character “until he’s 90.” The smash-hit movie also finally gave Henry Cavill the chance to play the superhero, albeit briefly. As they always do, fans now want more, hoping Cavill will reprise the role as the Cavillerine, earning more screen time in Marvel’s X-Men movie.

The MCU’s untitled
X-Men
movie hasn’t been given an official release date.