Christopher Abbott, who will play Professor Xavier in the new X-Men film, spoke about his role as the Foreigner in the 2024 film Kraven the Hunter. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he said he did not understand how his character’s hypnosis-related powers worked or what happened after he took off his glasses. Abbott said he thought things were not going well during filming and could not even remember what he wore in the film.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the film followed Sergei Kravinoff, who gains powers and becomes Kraven the Hunter after his father leaves him to die following a lion attack. Directed by J. C. Chandor, the production failed at the box office, grossing 60 million dollars worldwide.
Abbott also said that when he appeared onstage with the X-Men cast at D23, his energy changed because he felt that most of the audience did not recognize him. X-Men will be released on May 5, 2028.
Why it matters
Abbott’s assessment of his Kraven experience shows the extent of the distance the actor maintained from the workings of his character and the filming process in a production that ultimately underperformed at the box office. This raises questions not only about the film’s commercial outcome, but also about how the character was designed and to what extent it could be explained to the actor. His sense of not being recognized at D23 also suggests that he is starting the new project without an established connection with the audience. Abbott’s presence in the X-Men cast therefore leaves open the question of how he will be positioned as a more prominent character after his experience in Kraven; however, the available information is insufficient to draw conclusions about how Professor Xavier will be written in the new film or whether the role will change perceptions of the actor.
Background
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