New Reports Reveal These Two Actors Screen-Tested for Professor X in Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ Reboot

Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men‘ reboot has been one of the most tightly guarded projects on the studio’s slate, with fans combing through every scrap of casting chatter for months. As the film moves closer to actually assembling its lineup, the search for who will play Professor X has become one of the more closely watched threads in the whole process.

That search has already produced a fair amount of noise, with names circulating and falling away just as quickly. Bill Skarsgård’s name in particular has dominated recent speculation around the role, though reporting on the subject has treated that rumor with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Now, more concrete details have emerged about who actually sat in the room for the part. According to reporting from The Hollywood Reporter’s newsletter, both Christopher Abbott and Tom Pelphrey tested for Professor X, with Pelphrey confirmed to have missed out on the role. Abbott’s status, meanwhile, remains unresolved, leaving him as a genuine contender alongside the possibility of an entirely unnamed dark horse candidate.

That uncertainty fits the pattern this casting process has followed so far. Both Emma Frost and Cyclops ultimately went to actors who weren’t part of the earlier rumor cycle, with Samara Weaving and Kit Connor landing those roles after names like Asa Germann and Cooper Hoffman were floated and ultimately passed over for Cyclops specifically.

The competition for Professor X reportedly extended well beyond just Abbott and Pelphrey. Marvel has been described as testing seemingly every actor in a similar age range for the role, reflecting how much weight the studio is placing on getting this specific casting choice right.

Abbott brings a distinct pedigree to the conversation as a Tony nominee, while Pelphrey has drawn attention for his work on ‘Task.’ Both actors represent a different type of choice than the starrier names that had circulated earlier in the rumor cycle, suggesting Marvel may be prioritizing a specific tone or performance style for Charles Xavier over sheer star power.

Complicating matters further, Adam Driver has been rumored for multiple villain roles throughout the casting process, cycling through Magneto, Mister Sinister, and most recently Sebastian Shaw within the span of a single month. While Driver isn’t connected to Professor X directly, the constant shuffling around his potential role underscores just how fluid and unsettled this entire casting picture remains.

With Disney’s D23 event set to take over Anaheim from August 14 through 16, speculation has grown that Marvel could use the Disney Entertainment Showcase to finally lock in and announce more of its ‘X-Men’ cast. Multiple trade outlets have now pointed toward that date as a likely moment for a larger reveal, though nothing has been confirmed by Marvel Studios itself.

The stakes behind this reboot extend beyond typical fan curiosity. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has confirmed the mutants will be entirely recast following ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ with the film not expected to arrive until sometime in 2028, well after both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ wrap up the current saga.

That timeline means any casting reveal at D23 would land years ahead of the movie’s actual release, an unusually early move even by Marvel’s standards for building anticipation. Whether Christopher Abbott ultimately lands the role of Professor X or another name emerges from the shadows, the studio appears determined to make sure its new mutant team feels carefully chosen rather than rushed.

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