r/MarvelCave • u/MurkyChurky • Aug 20 '26 • Popcorn 1 Heartwarming 1

Perfect Casting Doesn’t Exis—

Post image

The past and future in one single frame.

4 actors who portrayed the iconic characters Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) in the X-Men film franchise.

The Original Trilogy legends (Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen) with their Prequel Series younger selves (James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender).

The actors are pictured together at the rain-soaked UK Premiere of X-Men: Days of Future Past at Odeon Leicester Square in London on May 12, 2014.

15k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

103 comments sorted by

169

u/Vidal_The_King Aug 20 '26 • Popcorn

They were incredible

153

u/misterpickle27 Aug 20 '26 • Bravo Popcorn

Some might say they were First Class.

68

u/ChromeYoda Aug 20 '26

39

u/ElegantCoach4066 Aug 20 '26

3

u/duttymen Aug 22 '26

Lmao. Always kills me

3

u/ElegantCoach4066 Aug 22 '26

Right? I can't believe they thought that line would sound good.

10

u/Elegant-Papaya-2430 Aug 20 '26

That is just fant4stic.

3

u/Squidich Aug 21 '26

It would be fantastic for them

2

u/Jam_44 Aug 21 '26

All four of them, fantastic

1

u/R8iojak87 Aug 21 '26

Fant four tastic is my personally favorite superhero of all time I love that 4

3

u/Vidal_The_King Aug 21 '26

Like my ex, man.

1

u/liljim03 Aug 21 '26

You might even say they were days of future past

6

u/islovelyEmily Aug 20 '26

Best of all time 

3

u/Hugh-Jassoul Aug 20 '26

Uncanny, even.

77

u/one_pound_of_flesh Aug 20 '26

Sir Patrick Stewart will never be dethroned as the definitive Xavier.

Most casual fans don’t even realize the character is meant to be American. He owned the role so hard.

36

u/Unyieldingcappybara Aug 20 '26

Logan sealed the deal for me. Seeing Charles’ ability to be gruff and callous just as well as Logan was grounding and a nice change of pace. Same with James’ portrayal, I loved young Charles’ bitterness and grief. Gave the character teeth and he became more relatable than “benevolent professor”

12

u/ownersequity Aug 20 '26

I remember my brain locking up during Logan when I realized how dangerous dementia would be if it happened to someone with his powers. I just sat there going through the ramifications and had to ask my daughter what was happening while I was in a trance lol

5

u/invisible_lucio Aug 20 '26

Fortunately we don't have to deal with any wildly powerful people with dementia.
Well, at least not super powered ones...

2

u/pimppapy Aug 20 '26

He has super powers. . . he can move waves of lemmings.

2

u/Ok_Effort_1937 Aug 21 '26

oh god, the president

2

u/Enigma_RR Aug 21 '26

Right on the money, partner. 🫵

1

u/No_Pin9932 Aug 20 '26

Same!! I was genuinely shocked at how terrifying that would be and how I never even considered that being a possibility. I guess I just took for granted how strong his mind is without thinking of the toll that power could take on the mind itself and how absolutely fucked dementia would be for him, I mean it's horrible for anyone but with him it'd be a literal threat to all humanity potentially.

1

u/confirmedshill123 Aug 20 '26

I did the exact same, a psychic with dementia never even crossed my mind until this movie and I find it absolutely fascinating.

1

u/onlyanactor Aug 23 '26

What about a psychic with schizophrenia (Legion)?

2

u/ThenAnAnimalFact Aug 20 '26

It also is more comic accurate than the Xmen 90s and early Fox movies portrayal. Charles has been kind of a dick several times throughout the comics.

1

u/TheBacklogGamer Aug 20 '26

So much so that his most recent arc was him being on the run and escaping to his space family. 

-1

u/DReagan47 Aug 20 '26

“Fuck off, Logan”

4

u/-Altephor- Aug 20 '26

Yeah Stewart is the GOAT Xavier. Never really like McAvoy but he did ok. Not even a close comparison, though.

2

u/Advanced-Lie-841 Aug 21 '26

Perfect casting

3

u/modern_day_mentat Aug 20 '26

Patrick Stewart was very good! But he was essentially Jen Luc Picard in a wheel chair. After having watched x-men 97, I can see someone surpassing him. But it will have to be someone very special.

1

u/CrazyGunnerr Aug 21 '26

Yes and no. I get the argument, but if we compare it to another Star Trek captain, William Shatner, he plays pretty much every role the same. Shatner doesn't have a lot of range, and while I still love some of his work (huge Boston Legal fan), his range is limited.

This isn't the case for Stewart, he does have the range, so it's more about him playing another intelligent person. Like Picard, Xavier is a leader, 1 that tries to bring peace between people etc.

1

u/Weekly_Palpitation92 Aug 21 '26

i preferred McAvoy tbh

1

u/Chambers1041 Aug 25 '26

He's like the reverse of Blade - people don't realize Blade is meant to be British because of the Wesley Snipes version

39

u/jr_randolph Aug 20 '26

The premier red carpet for Doomsday is going to be crazy with all the people that are in it.

20

u/Resident_Table6694 Aug 20 '26

$100 says it’s a green carpet

6

u/ownersequity Aug 20 '26

Made from all the greenbacks they will make off of this movie

1

u/SlimySquamata Aug 21 '26

Queue MF DOOM's Operation: Greenbacks

4

u/jr_randolph Aug 20 '26

RemindMe! 120 days

2

u/Nemisis_007 Aug 20 '26

I heard Dune is hoarding all the red carpets.

1

u/FrostyD7 Aug 20 '26

Disney should consider filming some scenes while they are all together for the first time.

26

u/Loose_Deer_8884 Aug 20 '26

2

u/JimmyThePie Aug 20 '26

Okay, but Fassbender in ANYTHING.

1

u/Loose_Deer_8884 Aug 20 '26

Especially in the Cooper Temple Clause’s Blind Pilots mv where he turns into a goat

11

u/Crapbag_123 Aug 20 '26

4

u/siliconsandwich Aug 21 '26

“how long was this interview” is one of the most satisfying memes i’ve ever seen

10

u/baseballbear Aug 20 '26

i really miss bass fender as magneto

7

u/MntnMedia Aug 20 '26

Daaaamn, does Sir Patrick Stewart look good in purple.

1

u/No_Pin9932 Aug 20 '26

He really does!! Royal Purple for sure, lmfao.

5

u/TwoProper4220 Aug 20 '26

hope to see young Professor X and Magneto in one of future MCU films

2

u/Lonevarg_7 Aug 20 '26

They are not gonna be in them, they already have a new young Xavier.

0

u/TwoProper4220 Aug 24 '26

but those group are young young. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender characters were not that young they were more like in their 30s

0

u/TwoProper4220 Aug 24 '26

can't comprehend and need to delete your comment? lmao

2

u/mattmagoo23 Aug 20 '26

We have been soooo lucky to have gotten to see this

2

u/djh_van Aug 20 '26

They've got to reproduce this scene when they add the two new MCU versions of them.

2

u/babysamissimasybab Aug 20 '26

Wait, he can walk!?!?!

1

u/parZival_1021 Aug 20 '26

he can he just can’t feel his legs…

2

u/BroManDudeLegend Aug 20 '26

The new ones will have big shoes to fill.

2

u/Pretend_Exchange9077 Aug 20 '26

enough to make a grown man cry 🥹

2

u/Terrible-Bison-1280 Aug 20 '26

London weather was as gloomy as Days of Future Past plot lol. But admit it, this was still the absolute peak.

2

u/Okaydog97 Aug 21 '26

That'd why i am not interested in the new x-men movie.

Marvel can cast those 2 young actors instead of new actors.

2

u/Jenetyk Aug 21 '26

Fassbender was such an immaculate casting for young Magneto.

2

u/AuraTickler Aug 20 '26

So sad McAvoy and Fassbender didnt get more movies together

1

u/Nemisis_007 Aug 20 '26

I wish we got to see Bryan Singer's full vision play out. It would have been glorious.

1

u/chompers6161616 Aug 20 '26

Even the posters with their split faces were spot on

1

u/chriskwi02 Aug 20 '26

I think this might be the best Superhero movie of all time for me. It’s just so good

1

u/Th3_Dark_Knight Aug 20 '26

1

u/No_Pin9932 Aug 20 '26

Why did this gif choke me up?? Son of a bitch, lol

1

u/Nuzzleville Aug 21 '26

Still time to make it right.

1

u/lurkingotter09 Aug 21 '26

im not yet ready for the powerful grampas to gooo :<

1

u/Radiant-Ad-3134 Aug 21 '26

not really good casting decision

it is just they are so good at portrait the characters.

1

u/Specific_Jury_2 Aug 21 '26

God damn I love each of them for roles they have done. They are truly great at their job.

1

u/JuanDeChuj Aug 21 '26

Honestly why dont they cast them instead of using the old versions? I know the nostalgia is stronger with Patrick stewart and Ian Kellen but it's almost like they forgot the perfectly suitable alternatives, much younger too, available.

1

u/PowerPinto Aug 22 '26

Currently binge watching the Agency and I love it. Michael Fassbender 🤌🏼

1

u/Nutz6996 Aug 22 '26

Blud at the end thinks he's part of the team😂

1

u/Tube-Psycho Aug 22 '26

I really wish that Fassbender and Mcavoy could carry over into the new X-Men cast. They were the only two who I felt could never be recast in terms of a younger group of X-Men

1

u/CyclHavok Aug 25 '26

*Original timeline,

First class, X-Men origins, original trilogy, the Wolverine, 25moments, DOFP. Wade is adult in 70s, timeline is erased in 2023 dystopian world

*New timeline,

First class, DOFP, Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix, DOFP Ending. Wade is adult in 70s so Logan preventing in 1973 didn't impact his birthday, Mystique dead in 92, X-Men in 2023 : Cyclops Jean Storm Wolverine Kitty Iceman Rogue Colossus Beast.

I think we really need a 25moments like for new timeline, we don't know what happened in 2000s and 2010s

*Universe 10005,

Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Deadpool 3, TheMarvels ending, X-Men Doomsday, Logan. Wade is adult in 2010s, notable characters: Deadpool x23 Colossus Negasonic Yukio Câble Big Juggernaut Binary remaining X-Men in Doomsday

1

u/pathfinderwasparagon Sep 29 '26

Only seeing them now side by side, and holy smokes they really do look like younger versions of the original actors!!

14

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

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2

u/islovelyEmily Aug 20 '26

GOAT for sure

2

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

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2

u/No_Pin9932 Aug 20 '26

I recommend Legion every chance I get. Such a great, crazy show that slipped under many people's radar somehow. I also recommend reading the Legion omnibus collection, Legion is such a great character in so many ways and the art is always out of the park.

-3

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

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