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Discussions are rampant about the newX-Menactors in the MCU. Fans have some suggestions about the cast of the mutant movie. For the role of Charles Xavier, a section of fans suggested a Black actor to play the role. This was partly based on the idea that Martin Luther King Jr. served as an inspiration to shape the character.
However, fans arguing for a comic-accurate Professor X presented their side and one particular argument appeared to rightly justify casting a White actor. Interestingly, the dynamic between a racially superior Charles Xavier and a Jewish Magneto will become important in the storyline of the film.
Why Does Charles Xavier Need To Be White In TheX-MenFilm?
Patrick Stewartwas cast as Charles Xavier in the 2000 filmX-Menand played the role for 22 years untilDoctor Strange 2. The FoxX-Menmovies also brought inJames McAvoyto play a younger version of this live-action Professor X. As the MCU is set to reboot theX-Men, some fans wanted to change things up a bit.
“I never ever forgot it”: Sir Ian McKellen Might Have Played the X-Men Villain But His Advice to Hugh Jackman Was the Blueprint of Charles Xavier
Over the years, fans have drawn analogies between the two conflicting mutant leaders in the comics, Xavier and Magneto, and the two American civil rights activists, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Some fans want this comparison to take a literal effect and they suggestMarvel cast Black actorsin the role.
While the comparison is deemed valid by several writers, noX-Menwriter has ever confirmed to directly take inspiration from the American leaders (via Vocal Media). One fan on X,@matzzm_, has perfectly explained why Charles Xavier appearing White is the best thing for the film.
According to this fan, a crucial part of the character’s identity is that he is a White man who hasn’t faced much oppression. The fan shared that since he has never experienced racism, he doesn’t understand some of the motivations of Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr who’s Jewish.
Controversial opinion: Charles Xavier should be white. He never understood racism because he never was a victim of racism that’s why Magneto as Jewish is a perfect opposite of him.https://t.co/Y4aYrZid3A
The fan made it clear that comic accuracy had nothing to do with their argument and that they would agree with Marvel in changing the race of any other character. However, they had a specific problem with changing Xavier’s ethnicity just due to his storyline.
And people who says that he should be white because he is white in comics, I disagree with you. Even there among mutants there is not enough representation of minorities. But Charles is the character whose ethnicity is very important.
The fan further expanded their take on another tweet, sharing that Charles’ dream of cooperation between humans and mutants came from a place of ignorance. The fan explained that Xavier hadn’t experienced what most of his fellow mutants had gone through and hence could be shortsighted in his decisions sometimes.
Martin Luther King was an inspiration yes, but Charles had completely different history. Charles wasn’t oppressed that’s why he couldn’t understand why it is hard for people to cooperate with mutants
According to thisRedditthread, fan-favorite suggestions for the new Professor X actor include Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Craig, Ewan McGregor, and Bryan Cranston. Fans will have to waitsome more time for an updatefrom Marvel.
Chris Claremont, Who WroteX-MenComics For Years, Did Not Base The Characters On The American Leaders
During an interview with Empire, Chris Claremont shared that the comparisons fans make between Charles Xavier & Magneto, and Martin Luther King Jr. & Malcolm X were valid. However, he shared that he had his own parallels for both the characters. Claremont was instrumental in shaping theX-Mencharacters that were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
“Anything I say will get me in trouble”: James McAvoy Lays Out His Conditions to Make His MCU Appearance as Charles Xavier
Claremont shared that making such an analogy with the civil rights leaders felt presumptuous to him. He shared that he used former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin as an inspiration for Magneto. Claremont shared withEmpire:
There’s a lot of talk online now that Magneto stands in for Malcolm X and Xavier stands in for Martin Luther King…but for me, being an immigrant white, to make that analogy felt incredibly presumptuous. An equivalent analogy could be made to Menachem Begin as Magneto, evolving through his life from a terrorist in 1947 to a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 30 years later.
Fans hope that the MCU could do justice to these complex interpretations of both Magneto and Charles Xavier in their newX-Menmovie. In the meantime, fans can rewatch Fox’s version of the characters in theX-Menmovies that are now streaming on Disney+.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
