James McAvoy tells Huffington Post that his version of Charles Xavier in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is still very different from Patrick Stewart’s portrayal of the character. The actor goes into detail about the fact that 1970’s Charles is in a much different place than 1960’s and future Chalres.
When you did “X-Men: First Class,” were you surprised by how accepted you were as Charles Xavier? Because people did love Patrick Stewart, even though this was a younger version.
“You know what? I was really pleased that people accepted me in that role. I was totally aware that I may get backlash. Because even though he’s younger, I’m not exactly like Patrick Stewart. As such, I took that and the fact they cast me, I thought to myself, They cast me and I”m not exactly like Patrick Stewart, so let’s run with that and let’s be really not like Patrick Stewart.
There’s a little element in the script in the first couple of pages of Charles’ character where he seems like he’s sort of picking up a girl in a bar. And I thought, Let’s take that and run with it. I kind of pushed and pushed — to really try to take him as far away from the Professor X that we’ve seen before in the comics and the cartoon and as portrayed by Patrick in the movies as well — he’s kind of like a monk. He’s a sage. And he’s wise and he’s very in control of himself and sort of selfless. I wanted to take him the opposite way — without making him a bad guy. But, make him selfish and a little bit egotistical and all of those things. I think that helped — the fact I wasn’t actually trying to do Patrick Stewart in the body of a 30-year-old man. I think if I would have done that, people would have rejected me.
But I think what’s big fun about going back is that you can see why people became the way they are. There’s no joy in doing that if they’re the same way at 30 that they are at 65. What’s the point of going back? You have to make them different and I think that helped.”
With the new “X-Men” movie, is there more pressure to more align those styles since Patrick Stewart will be in the movie?
“No. Not yet. I think that may come. I mean, who knows? Who knows where it’s going to go? That may come in the third movie but definitely not in this movie. We’re not in the same place that we were in the first movie with Charles — a very different place from there. But we’re also still on a very different place from where Patrick was in the other movies.”
Click here to read more from the interview!
On a side note – Film Music Reporter confirms that John Ottman (X2) is indeed editing and composing music for the film. Ottman previously mentioned the possibility of doing both, but now it’s a 100% done deal.
The Huffington Post is also an online rag.