Christopher Abbott opens up about ‘nightmare’ Professor X casting reveal

Christopher Abbott has opened up about the reaction to his casting as Professor X in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men reboot, describing the D23 reveal as both exciting and uncomfortable.

Abbott, known for Girls and East of Eden, was announced as the iconic X-Men character during Disney’s D23 event in August. Speaking to New York Magazine, the actor said the moment felt like “a bit of a dream and a nightmare” because he initially believed some attendees did not recognise him.

Abbott recalled walking onto the stage with enthusiasm before noticing what he described as a muted response from the audience. He said his energy quickly changed and he became more reserved during the reveal.

The actor was introduced alongside Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm and Adam Driver as Mr. Sinister. Other previously announced cast members include Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost.

Marvel’s new X-Men movie is scheduled to arrive in May 2028. The film will reboot the mutant superhero team following 2019’s Dark Phoenix, which starred James McAvoy as Professor X alongside Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult.

The new Marvel film will mark one of Abbott’s biggest commercial roles to date. Before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he is set to appear in Netflix’s East of Eden miniseries alongside Florence Pugh and Mike Faist, which premieres Thursday.