Laurence Fishburne is throwing his name into the X-Men reboot conversation.
During a Matrix reunion panel at New York Comic Con, the 64-year-old actor made a public pitch to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Professor Charles Xavier.
“I know that they’re talking about the X-Men now,” Fishburne told the audience. “So, at this point, I want one of two things. The first thing would be: what do you think about Laurence Fishburne as Professor X?”
No to Star Wars
Fishburne also questioned the crowd what his second thing should be, with Star Wars suggested, but the actor said he doesn’t want Star Wars.
“No, I’m good,” he replied. “I’m watching everything. I’m watching every Star Wars, I’m in the middle of Rebels now, man. I’m good on the couch with Star Wars. I don’t need a lightsaber. I don’t — pew pew! — I don’t need it.”
Marvel’s X-Men Reboot Taking Shape
Kevin Feige’s rebooted X-Men is expected to follow Avengers: Secret Wars and will reportedly feature a new, younger cast with some major changes to character dynamics. One ongoing rumor is that Feige is looking to cast Black actors in prominent roles—especially Magneto and Professor X—to differentiate the MCU reboot from the Fox versions.
Recent rumors have suggested Colman Domingo is being considered for Professor X, and Denzel Washington for Magneto.
Fishburne’s Marvel Experience
Fishburne already has ties to Marvel. He appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp as Bill Foster, returned in the What If…? animated series, and voiced the Beyonder in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
He’s also known for playing Perry White in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, adding to his comic book film credentials, and of course, The Matrix movies.
Casting Still Unconfirmed
As of now, no casting for the MCU’s X-Men reboot has been confirmed. The project is still in development, with Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier taking the helm and Michael Lesslie writing the script.
