Abbott is building toward one of the most loaded roles in franchise history. He still has not read the script.

Christopher Abbott describes his X-Men reveal as "a bit of a dream and a nightmare." The casting announcement came at Disney's D23 in August, putting Abbott in front of an audience largely unfamiliar with his work. "A lot of people didn't know who I was," he said.

Abbott, who succeeds Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy as Professor X, has not yet read a script. "I haven't read anything yet. Nothing," he told reporters. "I'm not even being coy. It's true, I haven't read anything. But I'm excited to work with Jake Schreier, I think he's a great director, and that cast is really good. I can't wait. I love X-Men."

Director Jake Schreier, whose previous MCU credit is Thunderbolts, is working from a screenplay by Lee Sung Jin (Beef) and Joanna Calo (The Bear). The 2028 release date and that writers room combination suggest Marvel is betting on prestige instincts over IP familiarity.

The cast assembles around Abbott in pointed ways: Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Maya Boyd as Storm, and Asa Germann as Angel. For Abbott, it is the largest platform of a career that has spent most of its time in smaller rooms. He received a Tony nomination this year for Biff Loman in the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman and appeared in Netflix's East of Eden as Adam Trask.

The X-Men arrive in theaters May 5, 2028.