X-Men Producer Recounts Michael Jackson’s Pitch to Play Professor X – IGN

Michael Jackson met with Bryan Singer and a neighborhood of the filmmakers concerned in regards to the X-Males movie motivate within the spring of 1999. Jackson, who THR notes was carrying shades and refused to shake fingers, made his case for why he may maybe most most likely maybe tranquil play Professor Charles Xavier, mentor and leader of the X-Males, in what would become the first vast Wonder movie blockbuster.

Michael Jackson in 1986’s 3D sci-fi movie Captain EO. (Credit: Disney)

Jackson, it’ll be remembered, was no stranger to acting, having portrayed the Scarecrow in 1978’s The Wiz. He also acted in different of his prolonged music videos, comparable to “Thriller” and “Frightening,” and starred within the 1988 musical anthology movie Moonwalker as properly because the Francis Ford Coppola-directed, George Lucas-scripted fantasy immediate, Captain EO.

X-Males producer Lauren Shuler Donner recalled telling Jackson at the X-Males meeting, “I acknowledged to him, ‘Attain you perceive Xavier is an older white guy?’ … And Michael acknowledged, ‘Oh yeah. , I will wear make-up.'”

Jackson’s “clarify presentation” to the X-Males group incorporated exhibiting the immediate movie Ghosts, whereby Jackson plays an older white mayor at one point.

THR claims Jackson was, “below no conditions seriously regarded as” for the purpose, citing one unnamed broken-down movie exec citing the unhurried singer’s miniature one intercourse abuse scandal as one motive why: “Michael was already within the thick of all his allegations by X-Males.” (It ought to be eminent that THR also delves into the a mammoth sequence of sexual misconduct allegations in opposition to Bryan Singer of their share.)

Within the end, Patrick Stewart was solid as Professor X in 2000’s X-Males, a purpose he persevered to play till 2017’s Logan.

Michael Jackson’s pitch to play Professor X is now not the finest unprecedented “what may maybe most most likely well maybe maintain been” share of X-Males casting history. Then-unknown Hugh Jackman modified Dougray Scott as Wolverine, while Jim Caviezel was at the foundation tipped to play Cyclops before James Marsden won the purpose.