- Primary Subject: Christopher Abbott / MCU X-Men Reboot
- Key Update: Christopher Abbott admitted his confusion while playing The Foreigner in Kraven the Hunter and guaranteed the upcoming MCU X-Men reboot will be superior.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: October 2, 2026
- Quick Answer: Newly cast MCU Professor X Christopher Abbott promised the upcoming X-Men reboot will easily outperform his previous, poorly received Marvel appearance in Kraven the Hunter.
X-Men star Christopher Abbott has promised that the highly anticipated MCU reboot will be better than the previous Marvel movie he starred in.
The Golden Globe-nominated actor is set to play the MCU version of Professor Charles Xavier (aka Professor X) in the upcoming X-Men movie. However, it won't be his first role in a Marvel movie, since he previously played The Foreigner in the critically maligned Kraven the Hunter from Sony's Spider-Man franchise.
Christopher Abbott Reflects on X-Men and Kraven the Hunter Roles
In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Christopher Abbott was jokingly asked whether the X-Men MCU reboot will be better than Kraven the Hunter.
After chuckling, he made a promise guaranteeing that the upcoming MCU film will surpass the quality of his past Spider-Man spinoff movie. Then, he shared how he was cast as Professor X.
"I think [director Jake Schreier] had been a fan of mine. I read something on Zoom first, and then I had to go in and test for it. I obviously know of X-Men. I've been a fan of X-Men," the actor said.
"We read from, I don't know if they were necessarily like dummy sides, but they were very human. The fun part for me is the journey of figuring out how I'm going to do it. A true acting challenge. I have some ideas for the approach. I've been very interested lately in just broadly the idea of consciousness. I'm not saying I'm going to do method acting here and try to be psychic by the time I do this movie."
Abbott also reflected on his experience working in Kraven the Hunter, where he admitted that he was not sure how he was going to play his character, The Foreigner.
"[Director J. C. Chandor] owes me big time. I feel like I can I can safely... I can s*** talk myself. I didn't know what I was doing in that. I didn't understand what the power was, what the superpower was. I didn't know what was going on," he shared.
"I was like, 'What?' And like I was like, 'So, I take off my glasses and what happens.' And like, no one I feel like no one really had a good answer. Can someone give me an answer? I don't know what I was wearing in that thing. I've sort of buried that deep. I love Aaron [Taylor-Johnson]. Alessandro [Nivola] is a good buddy of mine. I like the people. They're all great in the movie. I don't know what I'm doing in that thing."
With the confusion about his role, Abbott realized during filming that the movie may not work once it is released. He added, "In the moment, I was like, 'I don't think this is going well.'"
What to Expect in the X-Men MCU Reboot
So far, plot details for the X-Men MCU reboot are still under wraps, but it is expected to take place sometime after Avengers: Secret Wars.
Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier is currently attached to helm the project. Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo are writing the screenplay.
The cast includes Sadie Sink (as Jean Grey), Kit Connor (as Cyclops), Christopher Abbott (as Charles Xavier), Samara Weaving (as Emma Frost), Inde Navarrette (as Rogue), Maya Boyd (as Storm), Asa Germann (as Angel), and Adam Driver (as Nathaniel Milbury/Mister Sinister). More casting is expected to take place soon.
The film is currently slated for release in theaters on May 5, 2028. Production will begin early next year.
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