by Andy Gibbons

There’s good and bad news for James McAvoy this morning. On the down side, he’s due a trip to the barber’s for a major buzz cut. But on a more positive note, he’s only gone and landed the role of the young Professor Charles Xavier in new X-Men spin-off First Class.

This won’t be the first time McAvoy has starred in a comic book movie (he headed up Timur Bekmambetov’s rather over-rated Wanted and is due to return for a sequel) so he’s got form and I’ve got to say that I think he’s a pretty good choice to follow – or precede, this is a prequel after all – Patrick Stewart as the telepath with a heart of gold. But seeing as this outing will apparently examine the early relationship between Xavier and Eric ‘Magento’ Lensherr, the big question is who will star opposite him as the metal manipulating mutant? I know it’s total pie in the sky but I’d quite like to see Jude Law give it a go…

X-Men: First Class is being directed by Matthew Vaughn (who recently impressed with the fantastic Kick-Ass) while original X-Men director Bryan Singer is back on board the franchise as a producer which gives things good dose of credibility for me compared to the thoroughly slap-dash Wolverine. Expect X-Men: First Class to arrive in about a year from now.