X-Men Star James McAvoy to Make Directorial Debut

James McAvoy is known for an array of films ranging from Wanted to Atonement, but many know him best for playing young Professor X in various X-Men films. After spending years in front of the camera, McAvoy is ready to make his directorial debut. According to Deadline, the actor has been tapped to direct a film about the true story of two guys from Scotland who faked their way into the music industry by pretending to be American rappers called Silibil N' Brains. Considering McAvoy is also Scottish, this sounds like the perfect story for him to tell. 

You can read Deadline's description of the upcoming movie here: "In the late '90s, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd had their musical ambitions consistently ridiculed for having the 'wrong' accents so they went for broke and reinvented themselves as Californian rappers. The currently untitled movie will show how the duo re-recorded their own tracks with fake accents and turned up in London claiming to be an established duo on the Cali scene as well as childhood friends with Eminem. They quickly bagged themselves a record deal, a hefty sum in advances, and an appearance on MTV...until it all came crashing down." 

The story is based on Bain's memoir California Schemin' AKA Straight Outta Scotland, which was adapted into a 2013 documentary called The Great Hip Hop Hoax. The untitled film will be produced by Homefront Productions, and it's expected to begin production next year. 

"What these two young men from Dundee attempted beggars belief and I can't wait to bring this absolutely incredible, and also very Scottish/Californian story to the cinema," McAvoy told Deadline. "Using Scottish talent behind and in front of the camera is something I'm passionate about and I'm over the moon to be making my directorial debut in my homeland. The film will first and foremost be a celebration of the Scottish spirit, but the 'Silibil N' Brains' duo's audacious fakery can't help but appeal to audiences worldwide."

Will James McAvoy Appear in the MCU?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expected to eventually reboot the X-Men, but last year saw Patrick Stewart returning as older Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Hugh Jackman will soon be seen reprising his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Many think other X-Men stars could be showing up in the threequel, and there's a lot of speculation about the former Marvel stars who could appear in Avengers: Secret Wars. As for McAvoy, the actor said in an interview last year that he hasn't heard anything new from Marvel.

"I've definitely not got the call," McAvoy tolf GQ. "And if I did I would definitely not be telling you." He added of playing Professor X, "It was one of the most positive experiences I've had with a studio ... I don't really [see them as just] money gigs. Days of Future Past I think is one of the better films that I've been involved in."

"I'm all about doing good stuff, and when I got asked to play Charles the first time, it was good stuff," McAvoy told ComicBook.com in 2021. "It was good writing, and I was excited. If people offer me good writing, I'm always going to be excited, but I do feel like I've had a good ending with Charles and I got to explore some really good stuff, particularly in the first two movies that I did for him as a character. So if my time is done, I'm happy with the time that I spent and the time that I was given and if good writing comes in and people want to do stuff with me, I'll always be open to that, but it's got to be good."

"They're clever people," he continued, referring to Feige and his team at Marvel Studios. "They're so good at putting their stuff together. They'll figure out where to do it, but that might not involve people who've done it before. It might be a complete reimagining. And as a fan, I'm down for that as well and I'd be excited to see what happens next. If what happens next involves us, then that could be cool, but I'm not sure what way they're going to go with it, basically. But as a fan, I'm excited to see whatever way they go."

Stay tuned for more updates about McAvoy's upcoming projects.