James McAvoy explains why he wanted his 1970s incarnation of Professor X in X-Men: Days of Future Past to have a distinctly different aesthetic to Patrick Stewart’s version. With the likes of Avengers: Endgame having now proven just how grand a stage the superhero crossover can find itself on, it is easy to forget that back in 2014, X-Men: Days of Future Past was one of the first comic book movies to really begin exploring the potential of larger on-screen hero ensembles alongside The Avengers. Following Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine into the past, the clawed veteran was sent back in time to recruit younger versions of Professor X and Magneto in order to stop an assassination that would lead to the destruction of his world in the present.
Given this vital task by his recurring mentor figure, Stewart’s Professor X, Wolverine tracks down McAvoy’s traumatized and disheveled version of the character. McAvoy states to GQ that he insisted on having this younger incarnation of the character appearing to be in the stages of early drug addiction and a long way from the calming, wise, aura of the Professor X fans were familiar with. See what the star had to say below:
When I found out that Patrick was going to be in the movie, and look how Patrick does playing Professor X, I wanted to have long hair and look like I smoke a lot of weed. And maybe do a little bit of something stronger, in the ‘70s, set in my purple haze. Just to show how far that journey is going to have to be to make him into Patrick Stewart… I had such little hair at this point and we ended up doing an 18 hour hair extension session in one sitting… But by the end of it I looked like Professor X in “Days of Future Past”.
How The Two Xavier’s Are Different
Rather than just simply emphasizing the physical differences between the two generations of the character, McAvoy’s aesthetic choices for his younger version of Xavier served important narrative purposes. Losing the use of his legs after taking a stray bullet to the spine in the finale of X-Men: First Class, McAvoy’s Xavier is introduced in X-Men: Day of Future Past as deeply impacted by his injuries and the lack of control he seems to have over his powers. Taking a drug that grants him back the use of his legs, but also subdues his powers, the Xavier of the ’70s is shown to be in hiding from the world around him and his own inner demons. This is a far cry from Stewart’s stoic, counseling presence, always seeming to be at the center of the fight for good in spite of personal sacrifice.
Ultimately, McAvoy’s 18-hour hair extension session is a humorous and applaudable effort on the star’s part alone, but it is the aesthetic’s link to story that really made his portrayal of Professor X in X-Men: Days of Future Past stand out. In his traumatized state, still reeling from his physical injuries but equally struggling with the overwhelming strength of his exceptional telepathy, the idea of McAvoy’s Xavier becoming addicted to drugs is given great weight. It also leads to a fascinating role reversal in which Wolverine is forced into a position of advising Xavier back onto the correct path, rather than the other way around.
All of this culminates in one of X-Men: Days of Future Past‘s most profound scenes, in which the two Xaviers come face to face, and Stewart’s older character sets McAvoy’s on the road to becoming the Professor X fans truly cherish. Among all the explosions, powers, and action of a classic comic book story is this quiet moment of self-reflection and a wounded young hero realizing the man he can become once he defeats the despair of his past. The film remains one of Marvel’s most popular on-screen titles, and McAvoy’s efforts to create meaning and depth through small aesthetic changes to his character emphasize just how far attention to detail can go in making big blockbusters feel that bit more special.
Source: GQ (Via YouTube)