In X-Men: First Class, which actor played the young Charles Xavier?

James McAvoy played the young Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class.

Released in 2011, X-Men: First Class explores the early friendship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, who later becomes Magneto. McAvoy portrays Xavier before he is known as the wheelchair-using Professor X. Michael Fassbender plays the younger Erik, creating the central partnership of the film.

The movie is partly set in the early 1960s and connects mutant history with the Cuban Missile Crisis. It also introduces or develops younger versions of characters including Mystique, Beast, Havok, and Banshee. Matthew Vaughn directed the film, which functions as a prequel and soft reboot within the broader X-Men film continuity. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen appear as the older Xavier and Magneto in other films, so the two pairs are a common source of confusion.