While Marvel Studios might not dive into the deep end with the X-Men until after the Multiverse Saga, the mutants are unquestionably in the works for inclusion in the grand scheme of the MCU. Fans have been busy discussing who they want to see take on a potential role with the mutant team, and one name that's come up quite often is The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito.
Over the past couple of years, Esposito has become iconic for his role as Moff Gideon in both seasons of The Mandalorian with Lucasfilm, where he will continue to shine in next year's third season. He's also made an impact outside of the Disney bubble for his villainous role on Amazon Prime's The Boys, and he feels like an actor that's due for a big role in the MCU, the biggest movie franchise in the industry.
Esposito has even noted in the past how he sees the MCU as a destination for him, although nothing official had been made public. Now, that all changes thanks to a recent live appearance where the actor confirmed what fans have been hoping to hear.
Mandalorian Star Has Met With Marvel
In an appearance at the TJH Superhero Car Show & Comic Con in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, August 5, actor Giancarlo Esposito revealed that he has met with Marvel Studios regarding a potential role in the MCU.
In a video from Tik Tok user @countdowncitygeeks, Esposito confirmed talks with Marvel Studios, comparing the MCU thus far to a "mythological journey:"
"So, I have not worked for Marvel yet. I’ve been in a room with them and talked with them, and to answer your question, I think what they do is on the lines of that mythological journey that Joe Campbell talked about, who happened to be a friend of George Lucas that George Lucas put into his stories. They do the same thing."
Esposito then referenced a number of characters that fans have imagined him playing, including two iconic X-Men characters: Magneto and Professor X. When asked to pick which one he would want to play, he emphatically told the crowd that he would love a shot at playing the leader of the mutants, Charles Xavier:
"So, there’s been talk of Magneto, there’s been talk of Dr. Freeze, there has been talk of, who else are they talking about over there? Oh, Doom! And there is Professor X. Pick one? I’m going to go for something that is a little bit different. I’m going to go and put it out in the universe that it is Professor X.
Will Esposito Join The MCU's X-Men?
Fans got their first taste of Professor X in the MCU thanks to Patrick Stewart's return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, even though that ended in brutal murder. Now, the wait begins for Marvel Studios' take on the X-Men from Earth-616, which will give fans new takes on Wolverine, Magneto, Charles Xavier, and many other popular mutants.
Looking at Esposito's recent work, he would seem to be a great fit for any X-Men role he so chooses, and he could bring a new level of excitement to the MCU's Professor X should that decision be reached. He may want a change of pace after playing a terrifying villain in The Mandalorian and doing the same in The Boys, but even if Xavier doesn't work out for him, he named a couple of other big-time roles that would suit him well.
The actor has the gravitas and the stature to bring a third version of Magneto to life. Regardless of what happens, Marvel keeps up its standard of meeting with top-notch talent, and it should only be a matter of time before Esposito becomes Marvel's newest star addition.
