James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier Won’t Appear In X-Men: New Mutants

Earlier today, Borys Kit of THR reported that Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams will portray Wolfsbane/Rahne Sinclair, a Scottish mutant that can transform into a wolf, and Split star Anya Taylor-Joy will play Magik/Illyana Nikolievna Rasputina, a mutant who learns sorcery and uses teleportation discs to travel, in X-Men: The New Mutants.

Both actresses have been linked to the film and those roles for over year now. Still, it was good to hear that they finally signed on to the project. However, soon after the article was posted, Kit also revealed thatJames McAvoy and Nat Wolff won’t appear in New Mutants.

Even though his three-picture deal with 20th Century Fox was completed with the release of X-Men: Apocalypse, it has been expected that the studio will re-sign McAvoy so that he continue to portray Charles Xavier/Professor X — one of the world’s most powerful mutant telepaths — in New Mutants and Dark Phoenix. Just last year, producer Simon Kinberg basically confirmed McAvoy’s involvement. “Right now, as the movie exists, Professor X would be a part of a New Mutants movie,” he told Collider.

As for Wolff, in November, The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns actor was reported to be the leading contender for the role of Sam Guthrie/Cannonball — a mutant with the ability to fly with a jet of fire at high speeds.

New Mutants is looking to begin production in July on a script written by Boone and Knate Gwaltney. Longtime X-Men franchise produce Simon Kingberg will produce with Karen Rosenfelt.

New Mutants is scheduled for release on April 13, 2018.

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