The search to find the visionary leader of Marvel Studios’ mutant heroes is underway and Kevin Feige and crew have reportedly begun to narrow down their list.
Following a torrent of internet speculation, Jeff “The In” Sneider and John Rocha shared updates on the studio’s casting search for an actor to portray Charles Xavier in the upcoming X-Men reboot, confirming that while nobody has officially signed a contract yet, the casting lists have successfully been shortened to three actors.
Leading the charge as the top choice target for Xavier is Bill Skarsgård. Rocha noted that while previous rumors linked Patrick Wilson to the wheelchair, the 35-year-old Skarsgård stands firmly at the apex of the studio’s wish list. Joining Skarsgård on the streamlined shortlist are 43-year old Tom Pelphrey (Ozark, Love & Death) and 32-year old Drew Starkey (Outer Banks, Queer).
Sneider’s sources suggest that the film’s screenplay framework—crafted by director Jake Schreier and writers Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo —is prioritizing a young X-Men storyline, allowing for a younger Xavier. Targeting Skarsgård, Starkey or Pelphrey allows Marvel to establish a Charles Xavier who isn’t a distant, all-knowing mentor figure, but rather a young, fiercely determined academic launching his school for gifted youngsters in real-time.
With Marvel Studios headed to SDCC on July 25th and, possibly, D23 in mid-August, the potential for Feige to introduce one of these actors alongside Adam Driver and the rest of the core cast of the X-Men remains a tantalizing prospect for the summer convention season.
Source: The Hot Mic
Leave a Reply