James McAvoy says he has not ruled out the possibility of reprising the role of Professor X

Some actors have a hard time letting go of characters they have emulated for years, whom they start to think of as close companions or even a part of themselves. But for James McAvoy, it’s a more ambiguous approach.

McAvoy recently said that while he is alright not playing Professor X on screen, he has also not completely ruled out the possibility of reprising the role.

McAvoy took over the role of the telepathic mutant in the 2014 prequel X-Men: First Class. This was followed by 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2016's X-Men Apocalypse, and 2019's Dark Phoenix.

The Scottish actor told Collider that he has no qualms with some other actor taking over the reins of the character, whom he had played for almost nine years. As a performer and actor, he is content with what he ‘got out of’ the role.

“You never say never, as I believe James Bond once said,” McAvoy told the outlet, adding that he would not be disappointed if the chance to portray Professor X does not come his way again.

Previously Hulk actor Eric Banna, who had played the titular superhero in the 2003 Ang Lee directorial, had described that role as a “one-off moment”, and said that he had no desire to return to the superhero genre of films.

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McAvoy last shared screen space with The Crown’s Claire Foy in the mystery thriller My Son, which released on the US platform Peacock this September. He was recently made a part of the voice cast for the Audible audio drama The Sandman.