Actor Giancarlo Esposito has made a name for himself as everyone’s favorite villain lately. But according to the actor, who is constantly fancast as one baddie or another, he actually wants to play an iconic good guy next. And yes, this is an MCU good guy. According to a TikTok posted by coundownsitygeeks, (via IGN) Esposito spilled the tea on stage at the TJH Superhero Car Show & Comic Con in San Antonio, Texas. There, he admitted he’s gunning to play none other than Professor Charles Xavier in an X-Men reboot.
Esposito said, “I have not worked for Marvel yet. I’ve been in the room with them and talked to them. I’m gonna go for something that’s a little bit different. I’m gonna go and put it out in the universe that [I’d like to play] Professor X.”
The actor repeated the desire in his latest visit to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. He mentioned roles bandied about that he might play in the MCU, but noted that he wanted to play a good guy. “The biggest ask,” Esposito says with a flourish, “is Charles Xavier.” He adds, “Charles is smart, he’s good. But I feel as if there may be some mileage with me and Marvel.”
Esposito is no dummy. He knows fancasting is why John Krasinski got the part of Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If he becomes the popular favorite among the fans, he likely knows his chances of getting the part go way up.
Whether it’s as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad, Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, or most recently, as Stan Edgar on The Boys—he’s just so good at being bad. But no actor wants to get typecast. So it makes sense the big iconic role he’d want to take on next would be that of a hero. Although, as X-Men comics fans know, Charles Xavier is sometimes not all that heroic. That is why it makes even more sense for Esposito to play him. When the time comes to show Xavier’s darker side, we know he’ll excel at it.
If he does get the role, it wouldn’t be the first time fans have essentially cast this part. Back in the ’90s, comic book fan magazines like Wizard constantly polled the readers on who they wanted to see play Professor X in an eventual movie. The top choice was always Patrick Stewart. And we know how that turned out. Here’s hoping history repeats itself here for Mr. Esposito. Because we’d love to see him in charge of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
Originally published on August 8, 2022.
