James McAvoy has sent a “massive good luck” message to new X-Men star Christopher Abbott.
James McAvoy has given his support to the new X-Men cast
The 47-year-old actor played Professor X/Charles Xavier in the prequel films X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but the role will be undertaken by the Girls star in Marvel’s upcoming reboot of the comic book series, and James is very pleased for his successor.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly while promoting his latest movie Faith at the Toronto International Film Festival, he said: “Good luck to him. Good luck, good luck, good luck. I just wish them well and good luck.
“I’m here to sell a different film, so I don’t really… [Marvel’s] got a massive publicity machine; they can sell their own [film]. But massive good luck to them!”
The Split actor previously admitted he was “excited” to see what was in store for the next generation of the X-Men.
Amid rumours at the time of Colman Domingo starring in the saga, he said: “Look, I’m excited to see what happens next. I was a fan before I was an employee and I’ll be a fan again! You want it to be… I just can’t wait for it to be… Oh no, that was going to sound bad.
“It’s going to put a lot of pressure on people. Colman Domingo sounds amazing, though!”
It was previously revealed Samara Weaving will play Emma Frost and Kit Connor will play Scott Summers/Cyclops, while Sadie Sink’s casting as Jean Grey was confirmed in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In addition, Maya Boyd will play Storm, Inde Navarrette has been cast as Rogue and Adam Driver will portray Mister Sinister.
Director Jake Schreier previously confirmed Marvel is looking to produce multiple new X-Men movies.
He told Collider: “I think that, obviously, first things first: We have to make one great movie. But we always have an eye as we’re talking about it too.
“What are the different places this can go? What are the places that [have] been in the comics? What hasn’t been explored as much, and how can that be incorporated?
“And what are some of the different avenues that we could take that feel like the kind of less-trodden path that we could go down?
“But those ideas are always out there, as we have the discussions.”
Schreier also revealed that he is reuniting with Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo, who are writing a new draft of the script.
The trio worked together on Thunderbolts*, and they’ll be back together for the upcoming revival.
He teased: “We’re still developing. You know, one of the exciting things that’s tying into Beef is that Sonny and Joanna both worked on this season.
“Obviously, I mean, Beef is Sonny’s show, and Joanna worked on the season as well, and we worked together on Season 1 of Beef and on Thunderbolts*.
“They have come in and are working on a draft right now, which is really exciting to be able to put that group of people together again.
“When you go back and read X-Men [comics], there’s ideology but also interpersonal drama, almost of a soap opera quality.
“Having writers who understand both how to drive ideology from personal stakes, if we get that right, that’s what will feel most honest to what X-Men can be.”
In Avengers: Doomsday, the X-Men superheroes will unite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time.
The likes of Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijn are all set to return as Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto, Beast and Mystique.