Rumors about who will play Professor X in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot are once again making the rounds, with a new claim going viral on X that Giancarlo Esposito is in talks for the role.
However, the rumor appears to be nothing new and looks to be the same speculation that has circulated for a while about the Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian actor potentially playing Charles Xavier.
Old MCU X-Men Rumor Resurfaces
Posts spreading across X claim Esposito is “reportedly in talks” with Marvel Studios to portray Professor X in the MCU’s future X-Men project.
But similar reports have been floating around for quite some time. Esposito himself has previously confirmed he has spoken with Marvel about possible roles, including Professor X, Magneto, and even Doctor Doom.
At one point, Esposito even openly said he would be interested in playing Xavier, telling fans the character is someone he believes he could “really excel at.”
That doesn’t mean the rumor is accurate today, though, as Marvel Studios has never officially announced casting for its MCU version of the X-Men.
Also, recall that Marvel cast Esposito as Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World.
MCU X-Men Casting Rumors Have Been All Over the Place
The Esposito speculation is just one of many rumors tied to Marvel’s upcoming mutant reboot.
Previous reports have suggested Marvel may be looking at a wide range of actors for major roles, including rumors involving Colman Domingo for Professor X and other surprising names being floated online. Laurence Fishburne has even chimed in about playing Xavier.
Other speculation has included:
- Daniel Day-Lewis
- Bryan Cranston
- Cynthia Erivo
- Hunter Schafer
Those rumors highlight how unclear – at least to fans – Marvel’s plans still are for its eventual X-Men lineup.
Marvel Still Hasn’t Announced Its X-Men Cast
Marvel Studios has not revealed official casting for the MCU’s X-Men yet.
The most recent rumors point to Sadie Sink playing Jean Grey, and Hugh Jackman sticking around as Wolverine. Kevin Feige has confirmed a new age of mutants kicks off after Secret Wars.
The studio is currently leaning heavily into multiverse storytelling, with actors from the Fox X-Men movies — including Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen — expected to appear again in Avengers: Doomsday before Marvel launches its own new mutant era.
That likely means the MCU’s permanent X-Men cast won’t be finalized until after the Multiverse Saga wraps up.
Until then, rumors like the Giancarlo Esposito Professor X claim will probably continue popping up.
