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Even though Marvel’s X-Men project isn’t expected until after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars and the end of the Multiverse Saga, insiders are already buzzing about potential casting.

One of the biggest questions is who will play Professor X, the powerful telepath and founder of the X-Men. Some past reports suggested Marvel Studios is considering Black actors for the role, which has traditionally been portrayed by white actors.

Industry insider Jeff Sneider, speaking to John Rocha’s The Hot Mic, shared the latest on the casting rumors. “I continue to hear Black actors for Charles [Xavier],” he said. He added that the move could help differentiate the MCU’s version of Charles Xavier from Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. “I wonder if that’s the direction that Marvel wants to sort of take and to differentiate its Charles from Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy.”

Patrick Stewart first played Professor X in the original X-Men movies starting in 2000 and seemed to finish his run in 2017’s Logan, before appearing in the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. James McAvoy portrayed a younger version of the character in X-Men: First Class and its sequels.

Sneider also discussed casting rumors for Magneto, another iconic X-Men character and longtime friend and rival of Professor X. “The rumor was that they want Denzel [Washington] for Magneto. And so, it’d be interesting if they had a Black counterpart as Charles. Colman Domingo is someone who I think is high on that list of a potential if they go with an older Charles… It’s funny Jamie just said, ‘What about David Oyelowo?’ I think Colman Domingo is higher up on the list than David Oyelowo at this point,” he explained.

Naturally, fans hated that idea because the MCU did go a bit overboard with race-swapping in recent times, and casting a black actor to portray Professor X will be a signal to a large chunk of the fanbase that this movie is about sending a message and not about delivering a great story.

Now, James McAvoy has publicly shown his support for Colman Domingo as a potential Professor X during New York Comic Con. “Colman Domingo sounds amazing, though!” McAvoy said, giving fans a thumbs-up for the rumored choice.

Fans promptly reacted to this statement on social media: “Virtue signaling is so exhausting,” and one fan made a good point, actually: “The MCU will waste him like they wasted every great actor.”

What do you think about Colman Domingo in the role? Let us know in the comments below!