Christopher Abbott says the applause caught him off guard when Marvel revealed him as the MCU’s new Professor X at D23 in August.
The X-Men star opened up about the moment in a new interview with New York Magazine’s Samuel Hine, conducted in a robe at the Russian and Turkish Baths in New York City for the magazine’s first Men’s Style Issue.
‘I Almost Did A Fist Pump’
“I think I started walking out pretty enthusiastically, and then I kind of felt like a lot of people there didn’t know who I was, so then my energy shifted within the split second,” Abbott said. “I was a little bit more humble about it.”
“I almost did a fist pump when I walked out, and then I felt like the applause was muted,” Abbott continued. “So I was like, ‘I’m just going to walk out and nod.'”
“It feels almost like a video game, or a dream,” he added. “Not like a good dream. It’s a bit of both, a bit of a dream and a nightmare.”
Patrick Stewart Gets One Last Run First
Abbott, who landed the part over Tom Pelphrey, follows Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy in the role.
Stewart returns as Professor X one more time in Avengers: Doomsday this December before the handoff.
Jake Schreier directs the reboot, with cameras rolling next year. Sadie Sink, Kit Connor, Samara Weaving, Inde Navarrette, Maya Boyd, and Asa Germann fill out the team, with Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury, AKA Mister Sinister.
Up first for Abbott is Netflix’s East of Eden with Florence Pugh and Mike Faist, which premieres Thursday.
X-Men opens May 5, 2028. Release date, full cast, villain, and every rumor are tracked in our X-Men guide.
