Actor James McAvoy ( best known to NarniaFans as “Mr. Tumnus”) has been in everything from Narnia, to the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, to Wanted. He’s even been rumored to play Mr. Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit! While there is nothing new on the Narnia front for James ( or for that matter Middle-earth), he has signed on to play the younger version of another iconic character. James McAvoy has been attached to play the young Professor Charles Xavier in the upcoming X-Men prequel X-Men:First Class.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn ( Stardust) the film will tell the story of the friendship between the young Professor X and his once and future adversary Eric Lensher ( Magneto.) Both rolls were played in the original trilogy by Sir Patrick Stewart ( Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Sir Ian McKellen ( The Lord of the Rings) respectively.
Coincidentally, X-Men isn’t the only connection McAvoy has to Stewart as both actors share ties with the land of Narnia. While McAvoy was Mr. Tumnus in the recent films, Patrick Stewart read the audio book for CS Lewis’ The Last Battle.
I don’t know but in looking at a picture of James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart I can see some resemblance. Best of luck to James in his new roll! As any actor can tell you it is hard to step into an iconic roll played by another actor .
That’s so cool!!! Harry Gregson-Williams also did the music for X-Men Origins: Wolverine! 😀
Wow !!! awesome .. very fit . James McAvoy is a very good actor !!! keep it up !!!
I would be totally excited about ‘The HObbit’ is James McAvoy was Bilbo!
Tarwe…
I’m sure McAvoy could make an amusing Bilbo, too. However, he’s become enough of a familiar face to fantasy fans that some of us might have trouble seeing “Bilbo” for the Tumnus in him. Besides, does the world need more fangirls swooning over a Hobbit after the Frodo Phenomenon? 😉
Fox, please stop making X-Men movies.
There’s a simple solution for you: don’t go see the X-Men movies. I don’t know what you know of Matthew Vaughn, who is directing X-Men: First Class, but what I have seen of his work makes him well suited to the task, though I didn’t care for the subject matter of his films that I’ve seen, I am excited to see what he does.
glumPuddle–whatever various ones of us may think of X-Men, it’s a big franchise. As long as it keeps paying Fox back, Fox will follow the little neon dollar signs.
James McAvoy is not new to Sci-Fi…. There was an earlier connection between the actors that you did not mention at all.
James McAvoy played LETO ATREIDES II in Frank Herbert’s CHILDREN OF DUNE Miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003, which was One of the Highest-rated programs ever to be broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. He was spectacular in his role as Leto! Patrick Stewart played Gurney Halleck in David Lynch’s version of Dune.
Forgive me for asking a question on here I could probably research for myself, but does his having played “Leto II” mean that Paul’s son survived the Harkonnen attack at the end of “Dune,” or did Paul simply give his next male offspring the exact same name?
I was just looking at the Hobbit news. Nothing confirms him being Bilbo but I hope he does!!!!
That’s where the word “rumored” comes in. 😉