‘X-Men’ Star Christopher Abbott Says His Big Professor X Reveal Felt Like Both a Dream and a Nightmare
Stepping into the role of Professor X means following in some very big footsteps. Patrick Stewart made the telepathic leader of the X-Men iconic, and James McAvoy played a younger Charles Xavier in the prequel films. Christopher Abbott is now the actor charged with bringing the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The casting was announced in August at Disney’s D23 event in Anaheim, where Kevin Feige closed out Marvel Studios’ presentation with the reveal of the principal cast of the X-Men reboot. Director Jake Schreier, who helmed ‘Thunderbolts*’, took the stage with Sadie Sink, who debuted as Jean Grey in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’.
They then welcomed the rest of the new team, including Kit Connor as Scott Summers, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, and Maya Boyd as Storm. Abbott, best known for ‘Girls’, was introduced as Professor X, and now he has opened up about how that moment really felt in a new interview with New York magazine.
The interview was conducted by Samuel Hine for the magazine’s first standalone Men’s Style Issue, with Abbott speaking in a robe at the Russian & Turkish Baths in New York City. He described the D23 reveal as both a dream and a nightmare.
Abbott said he started walking out enthusiastically, but then felt that a lot of people in the audience did not know who he was. His energy shifted in a split second, and he became more humble about it.
He recalled nearly doing a fist pump when he walked out, only to feel that the applause was muted. He decided to walk out and nod instead, and he said the whole experience felt like a video game or a dream, though not a good one.
Christopher Abbott tells Samuel Hine about sweating through his big Professor X reveal at D23.
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) September 30, 2026
See more from Ryan McGinley's portfolio at the Russian & Turkish Baths for our special Men’s Style issue here: https://t.co/eUtSakKfSi pic.twitter.com/Srr36D9jQn
The D23 presentation also included a major surprise in Adam Driver, Abbott’s ‘Girls’ co-star, who was introduced as the villain Mister Sinister. The group included actors who were meeting each other for the first time backstage, according to Feige.
Abbott landed the part over Tom Pelphrey, and he is best known for indie and arthouse work, which may explain why the room reacted the way it did. The announcement also confirmed a release date of May 5, 2028 for the film.
The AV Club offered some perspective, noting that Abbott should look to Hugh Jackman for solace. Few people knew who Jackman was when he was cast as Wolverine, and he went on to become a global superstar, appearing in 11 feature films as the character.
Fans will get to decide whether Abbott is a worthy successor to Stewart and McAvoy. As a veteran indie actor who also appeared in ‘Wolf Man’, his most commercial role yet in the MCU is a big step up.
Before the new film arrives, Abbott will appear in Netflix’s ‘East of Eden’ miniseries alongside Florence Pugh and Mike Faist, which premieres October 1. Abbott and Faist play brothers in the series, and the two share a cover of New York’s Men’s Style Issue.
The bathhouse shoot, photographed by Ryan McGinley, is a playful setting for the actors, who were clad in little more than towels. It is a long way from the big Marvel stage where he was introduced.
Schreier directs the film from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie, who wrote ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’. Feige has said the film will be very youth-oriented.
The new movie reboots the mutant team for the first time since 2019’s ‘Dark Phoenix’. Stewart and Ian McKellen are also set to appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ this year, bridging the old and new versions of the characters before the reboot arrives.
Marvel has said more casting news is coming, and the team’s roster is still being filled out. For Abbott, the real test will come when audiences see him in the role on the big screen.
Online, many fans praised Abbott’s candor. Others noted that he is relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, which may explain the muted response.
What do you think of Christopher Abbott as the MCU’s new Professor X?
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