Actor Giancarlo Esposito is ready to delve deeper into the expansive, cinematic world of Marvel.
While speaking at the Thomas J Henry’s Superhero Car Show & Comic Con in San Antonio,TX, Esposito revealed that he is not only eyeing big roles in the Marvel Multiverse, but that he has already had a conversation with studio executives. “I have not worked for Marvel yet. I’ve been in the room and talked to them,” said the “Breaking Bad” villain.
Esposito has had a long career of portraying villainous characters in television and film, as well as in the video game Far Cry 6. Considering that he has carved out a niche as an impressive antagonist throughout his four decades of acting, it would be easy to imagine him portraying some version of a rogue character. But, “The Mandalorian” actor has a more congenial character in mind.
“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,” he said on Aug. 7. When asked which of the characters he would most like to portray, he responded, “Pick one? I’m going to go for something that is a little bit different. I’m gonna go and put it out in the universe that it is Professor X.”
During the San Diego Comic-Con last month, the plans for Marvel’s phases five and six were revealed by the studio’s president, Kevin Feige. Among the list of television shows and movies slated to roll out over the next couple of years is “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the reboot of “Blade” starring Mahershala Ali, and a reboot of “X-Men.” Over the past two decades, Marvel has released 11 films centered on the mutant superheroes. For at least seven of those projects, actor Patrick Stewart has portrayed Xavier X, the telepathic leader of the X-Men. In 2017, Stewart portrayed the often wheelchair-bound mutant for the last time in “Logan.”
Elsewhere during his remarks, he added that, “I love Patrick Stewart. He played that role and they want to re-envision it. It turns out that they may be ready sooner than later to do that. I think they’re not quite ready for Magneto or Freeze.”
Esposito added, “So you know, I’m hoping that when they are ready to do Xavier X that they’ll be talking to me, and I’ll make myself happy and all of you.”
