Former MCU Star Reveals Near-Casting As Professor X For X-Men Reboot

The Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise was close to bringing a former star back, but as a completely different character.

Robert Downey Jr. will be back in the MCU timeline this year, but not as Iron Man, as he will be playing Victor von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom, in Avengers: Doomsday. But this isn’t the first time Marvel Studios has brought an actor who has already been in the franchise for a different role, and one of their next projects was very close to repeating it.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Pelphrey confirmed the rumors that he had met with Marvel Studios about Professor X in the new X-Men movie. However, the role went to Christopher Abbott, with Pelphrey now opening up about not landing the part, which would have been his second time appearing in the MCU, after having previously played Ward Meachum in the Iron Fist series.

Tom Pelphrey: When it comes to opportunities like [Professor X], I am always of two minds. I am always a little torn in half. That’s a very long, serious commitment, and that makes me genuinely nervous because a lot of things can change in that time. So half of me thinks an experience like that could be cool and exciting, while the other half of me is a little worried about what could happen. But to be in the conversation for those kinds of roles, regardless of the specifics or how it plays out or why, it’s incredible.

To think about where I was ten years ago or even five years ago, it’s crazy the way this journey has unfolded. I don’t take any of it for granted. Like you said, I didn’t skip any steps to get here. I grinded for a long time, and my feet hit every rung on the ladder to get to where I am. I wouldn’t change any of it because I had to walk every single one of those steps to get here. I didn’t jump to the front of the line at any point or have one job that sent me into orbit. And thankfully so, honestly. To start from the bottom and then work my way up, I can see everything with a perspective that just leaves me feeling grateful.

Now, when one door closes, another door immediately opens, and it’s really changed the way I feel about certain projects. If something doesn’t work out and it isn’t perfect for everyone involved, great, because it’s probably perfect for someone else. That just means there’s something more perfect coming for me.

THR also asked the Task star how his younger self processed these types of experiences, as he went on to share that “when I was younger, I had much more of a zero-sum mentality. It has to be this, and I need to get this. So you’re either king of the universe for a while because you did get it, or you’re devastated because you didn’t get it. You feel like you’ve done something wrong if you didn’t get it, but it’s just not true. There are so many amazing opportunities, and to do one means you cannot do all the other ones. Every choice, in a way, is a sacrifice of all the other opportunities you’re not going to be able to do.”

As the interview took place days prior to the X-Men cast being revealed at D23 2026, Pelphrey commented, “I tread lightly now. If something excites me — such as meeting a Louis Leterrier or a Jake Schreier [X-Men director], and I love them and enjoy talking with them — I’ll be like, Okay, let’s try this, but no guarantees ever. So that’s where I’m at now. It’s easy come, easy go.”

While he didn’t end up joining the X-Men movie, the Emmy-nominated actor still looks at those experiences as rewarding, nonetheless, as he stated the following.

Tom Pelphrey: You learn a lot from looking back. You see how something that felt like a disappointment in the moment led you to a greater good. But we can only see those things in the rear view. If you’re paying attention and you’ve lived long enough, you start to realize, I should stop thinking I always understand what the best thing for me is. I’m going to surrender my master plan and how it needs to be executed. I’m just going to stay open to whatever comes next.

So to have those [X-Men audition] experiences — and some of the other conversations and meetings I’ve had that haven’t been reported — it’s incredible. It’s been a good time. As much as I may have some talent and as much as I know I work hard, I am fortunate to be here. A lot of things have to go right at the right time to get here, so it’s all good.

If the Iron Fist alum had been tapped to play Charles Xavier, it would be the fourth time a major Marvel-Netflix star got cast as another character in the MCU. The first time this happened was in Captain America: Civil War when Luke Cage’s Alfre Woodard showed up for a single scene, playing Miriam Sharpe, despite having joined the franchise as Mariah Stokes-Dillard in the Netflix drama.

Another Luke Cage veteran who was initially set to have a larger role in the MCU through his own solo film was Mahershala Ali. After playing the villainous Cornell Stokes, a.k.a. Cottonmouth, in season 1, he was going to portray Blade in a new reboot, which ended up getting stuck in development hell, with the Academy Award winner no longer attached to the project.

In 2025, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who had already played Micro in The Punisher season 1, returned to the MCU, but this time as Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Despite this take on Marvel’s First Family coming from Earth-828, the team is crossing over to Earth-616 in Avengers: Doomsday and will be back in Avengers: Secret Wars too.

The X-Men film opens in theaters on May 5, 2028.