James McAvoy Names First Class His Favorite X-Men Movie But Hasn't Forgotten Days Of Future Past
Although for many Marvel fans, the definitive live-action portrayal of Charles Xavier remains Patrick Stewart's stoic performance in 20th Century Fox's original "X-Men" trilogy (so much so that he even reprised the role in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"), it's fair to say that James McAvoy's version of the character has enjoyed a much more fleshed out character arc than his predecessor.
When we first meet this version of Charles Xavier in "X-Men: First Class," he's the polar opposite of the Professor X we came to know in the original trilogy. A younger, more egotistical mutant who is as focused on women as he is on his fellow mutants. Throughout the subsequent three installments of the "X-Men" franchise, fans watch as McAvoy's Professor X slowly changes into the somber, world-weary leader we came to know and love in the original film trilogy.
In any case, James McAvoy has certainly had plenty of time to get to know the ins and outs of Charles Xavier throughout his time in the "X-Men" franchise, which is why it should come as no surprise that the actor is still torn about which of those movies was his favorite to work on.
James McAvoy says First Class is his favorite, but Days of Future Past was more challenging as an actor
While recapping the most iconic roles of his career in an interview with GQ, James McAvoy explained that he still considers "X-Men: First Class" to be his favorite movie in the "X-Men” franchise, though he believes his work on "X-Men: Days of Future Past" was much more rewarding.
"'First Class' is probably my favorite movie," McAvoy said. "But, in terms of what I got to do as an actor, I'd say 'Days of Future Past' was probably the most challenging, the most interesting experience I had as an actor on the 'X-Men' movies." Even though McAvoy clarifies that "First Class" remains his favorite "X-Men" movie, it's certainly quite telling that he holds a special reverence for the work he did in "Days of Future Past" — a film that still holds the second highest critical rating of all "X-Men" movies on Rotten Tomatoes, just behind "Logan."
In addition to his obvious love for those two films, McAvoy also went on to praise his "X-Men" co-stars, saying that they're still "relatively in contact" with each other despite the fact that this iteration of the X-Men is finally at a close. In any case, McAvoy's comments make it clear that he still holds a deep respect for both "X-Men: First Class" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past," albeit for different reasons.