20 Things The X-Men Movies Actually Got Right
2. Casting The Perfect Professor X And Magneto...Twice!
The X-Men series managed to catch lightning in a bottle with their casting of Professor X and Magneto...and they did it twice. Both sets of actors deliver unique and interesting portrayals of the characters, each time putting their own stamp on the role.
Firstly, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen both portray the more older and grizzled versions of the two characters. Stewart embodies the good nature and sincerity that you would expect from Charles Xavier. Ian McKellen on the other hand, portrays Magneto in a very sinister yet approachable way.; he was war torn and took no nonsense. Their dynamic together is also incredible, a highlight being the interrogation scene at the end of the first film.
Switching over to the younger versions of the characters, James McAvoy portrays Charles Xavier as an optimistic and wise young man. We get to see him in his element as a young student who by the end of the series is the Charles Xavier we know. Michael Fassbender portrays Erik as a man with a mission. A man with a traumatic past who is dead set on what he wants and will stop at nothing to achieve that end goal.
The gravitas that these actors brought to their roles is exceptional and the MCU version of the X-Men will have a tough task trying to find perfect casting for a third time.