Laurence Fishburne has graced Hollywood with numerous iconic roles on both TV and the silver screen. With The Matrix’s Morpheus and ‘The Bowery King’ in John Wick under his belt, one has to wonder what his next undertaking would be.
A New York Comic Con reunion panel for The Matrix reveals that Fishburne is keen to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as X-Men’s Charles Xavier.
In a dialogue about what his next dream role would be, the 64-year-old pondered if playing Professor X was a good idea, to which he was met with cheers and approval from the crowd. As an alternative to Charles Xavier, he admitted that he’s not entirely sure of what he would set his eyes on next and that he’ll take the “next role that finds [him]”.
On the other hand, Fishburne is not keen on being in a Star Wars title. When suggested that he plays a role in the Star Wars universe, he politely declined with a “I’m good on the couch with Star Wars. I don’t need a lightsaber.”
Playing one of the X-Men’s most powerful telepaths may be a tall order for any actor today, filling in the shoes of the likes of Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. For Fishburne, it’s clear that he has the acting chops to handle the role, with his role as Dr Bill Foster in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania already serving as an entrypoint to the MCU.
We’ll never know if Fishburne can become the new Professor X. Still, by expressing his interest, perhaps a new branch in the timeline has been created, allowing MCU head Kevin Feige to consider the possibilities more heavily. Regardless, even if the actor snags the role successfully, we won’t be seeing him as Professor X any time soon, not until at least 2028.
Crack open a cold one with Joey, because the moment you approach him, he will start talking about film and video games for days. He spends his waking moments during the weekends meditating on how the latest movie he’s watched or game he’s played has impacted his worldview.
Ting Wei
