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James McAvoy shaves his head for ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

Say goodbye to James McAvoy's beautiful locks.

 

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Internet Culture

Posted on May 10, 2015   Updated on May 28, 2021, 9:11 pm CDT

When James McAvoy was cast as Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, fans immediately began to wonder if he’d shave his head to resemble Xavier’s comic book appearance. Two films later, it’s finally happened.

X-Men franchise director Bryan Singer posted a photo of McAvoy on Instagram, showing the actor being shaved bald. Now he truly looks like a successor to Patrick Stewart’s depiction of the character in earlier movies.

https://www.instagram.com/p/2cNOOLxDxE/

McAvoy was introduced to show a new side of Xavier, who was portrayed in the first X-Men trilogy as an elderly mentor figure. X-Men: First Class reimagined him as a young, slightly douchey idealist in the 1960s, becoming more cynical and angry for the 1970s-era X-Men: Days of Future Past. His long hair highlighted the differences between the rebellious young Xavier and the respected leader he would one day become.

The upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse will take place in the 1980s, and it looks like Xavier may finally be evolving into his role as Professor X, headmaster of the Xavier School.

Photos from the set show its new cast of teen actors (including Game of ThronesSophie Turner as Jean Grey) dressed in 1980s fashions. Xavier and Magneto are now entering middle age, with a new generation of mutants arriving to take their place as the heroes of the franchise.

Photo via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia (CC BY SA 3.0)

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*First Published: May 10, 2015, 10:04 am CDT