One of the Ant-Man franchise's most forgotten hero actors is hoping to play another MCU hero, and it would be a very important role in the next saga. The group of those who have played multiple Marvel characters is a rather exclusive club, championed by the likes of Gemma Chan and Michelle Yeoh. One Ant-Man franchise actor previously joined that club through Dave Dastmalchian, who played ex-con Kurt and later Quantum Realm freedom fighter Veb.
During an exclusive interview with ComicBook, Ant-Man and the Wasp actor Laurence Fishburne revealed his hopes to be recast in another MCU role, this time in Marvel Studios' all-important X-Men reboot as Charles Xavier.
The acclaimed actor joined the MCU in 2019 with Ant-Man and the Wasp, where he played Bill Foster, a former colleague of Michael Douglas' Hank Pym who is better known as Goliath, aka Giant-Man.
At 64 years old, Fishburne suggested Professor X is the "most appropriate character for [him] to play," but he also believes he's right for the part:
“Professor X, at the moment, is, I feel, the most appropriate character for me to play at the age that I am at this point. And for the kind of roles that I am known for. It feels like it would be fit for me. So that’s why."
Beyond playing Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp (a role he reprised recently in What If...?), Fishburne has several other credits in the superhero game. He voiced the Silver Surfer in 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and joined the DCEU as Perry White in 2013's Man of Steel.
While declaring himself as a "true believer" in all things Marvel, Fishburne also reminisced on his career and the many characters he "wished [he] could have played when [he] was younger:"
“I am a true believer in terms of the Marvel space. Whether it’s Marvel comic books or the MCU. I was reading comic books at the age of six in New York City, and those writers and those artists were talking about things that were happening in the city that I was growing up in. So, of course, there are many characters in the Marvel Universe that I related to that I wished I could have played when I was younger. But I’m very, very pleased with the way that the movies have been cast.”
Fishburne isn't the first Black actor to eye up the coveted Professor X role, as Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito previously shared his own hopes to play Charles Xavier and revealed three key traits he would bring to the part.
That said, those chances were seemingly dashed when Esposito became one of the newest villain additions to the MCU in 2025, playing the Serpent leader Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World.
Laurence Fisburne Could Fit the MCU's Professor X Casting Plans
Despite his Marvel fandom, Fishburne appeared to have forgotten his MCU role in Ant-Man and the Wasp by March 2023, and perhaps he is hoping fans and studio execs have done the same before Professor X casting begins.
Even though he is already in the MCU, Fishburne may have some hope to fulfill his Charles Xavier recasting hopes thanks to Avengers: Secret Wars. The rebooted X-Men won't arrive with their new leader until after the 2027 blockbuster, which has been promised to "reset" the franchise and usher in a soft reboot, possibly opening the doors for the franchise's more forgotten actors to take on new roles.
If Marvel Studios is looking to debut its X-Men reboot in 2028, as most expect following its recent writer and director hires, production could begin in late 2026 or early 2027. As such, fans may be getting closer to learning who will join the legacy of Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy as the next Professor X.
Ultimately, Marvel Studios will likely be looking to cast a very different Charles Xavier to differentiate from what has come before. There were rumors that the studio is eyeing Black actors for Professor X, which could give Fishburne a very real chance at fulfilling his next MCU dream role.
