The offerings on the 2024 movie schedule have gotten creepier, which makes sense as U.S. audiences are now preparing for the coming Halloween season. But even with a movie like the upcoming horror movie Speak No Evil, there’s something else looming in the shadows when a star like James McAvoy is on hand to promote Blumhouse’s latest: his MCU past. When this subject was approached in a recent interview with the former Professor X star, he showed some comedic frustration, and I can totally identify with this,
As our in-house ReelBlend podcast had both McAvoy and writer/director James Watkins to discuss this recent remake, this potential pitfall was addressed rather tastefully. With co-host Jake Hamilton’s question leaning into that quagmire, the discussion sidestepped becoming a part of that supposed “problem.”
With that in mind, here’s what James McAvoy told CinemaBlend about this ever present frustration:
You know what's really annoying, though? I'm here to talk about this movie. And you want to get some press out there, to get people to go bums on seats. And then you notice, ‘Oh no, the first five headlines where your name’s attached to them is something about some other movie, something about some other movie, something about some other…’ And you're like, ‘Oh, God dammit.’ So what I think – I've done this in previous junkets, and now I started doing it for this as well – is like, ‘Do you know what? I'm not here to talk about that. They can publicize their own fucking film.’
James McAvoy - ReelBlend
At face value, some could mistakenly read that quote as a slightly angry statement. That could be a mistaken assumption on my part, as that Speak No Evil trailer definitely sells Mr. McAvoy continuing to be a consummate rage artist to a tee. That assessment couldn’t be further from the truth though, as listening to McAvoy address this concern shows his trademark wit and humor in a way that left even myself smiling.
Also, since Professor X was “never discussed” for inclusion in Deadpool & Wolverine, I can’t blame the Scottish talent for being charmingly flippant about the issue. I get that the recent shockwaves made by "Marvel Jesus," aka Ryan Reynolds, have probably renewed interest in the X-Men saga, in addition to the X-Men '97 hype that continues. But what Mr. Hamilton's question understands is that, with Charles out of the picture, there's only so much you can really ask to that effect, in an interview room that's already on a ticking clock.
While most people were probably hoping for a Patrick Stewart cameo in Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s big threequel, I myself wanted to see James McAvoy’s prequel variant actually get some more screen time. No offense to the OG Charles Xavier or anything, but with previous Deadpool movies already tied into the First Class cast, this would have been the ultimate cherry on top.
Then again, me taking that sort of detour may be part of those feelings McAvoy expressed in our ReelBlend sit-down. Which only reminds me of the fact that, speaking as an entertainment journalist myself, there is a delicate balancing act that needs to be done when promoting any project. On one hand, it’s absolutely important to keep things focused on a movie like Speak No Evil, as that’s the metaphorical party that brought you to the dance.
At the same time, fans want to know about potential James McAvoy’s reactions, hopes, or even discarded developments that he would have wanted to see play out in MCU adventures to come. It’s a hard instinct to shake, especially when upcoming X-Men movies and TV shows leave the future of this Marvel creation as a gigantic and intriguing question mark.
Keeping all of that in mind, you can all of that at work during our full interview with James McAvoy, shared below for your easy access:
Speak No Evil’s brand new remake is currently showing in theaters, just in time for Halloween! And if you’re starting to feel nostalgic for this particular era of X-Men titles, you can stream James McAvoy’s tenure as Professor X with a Disney+ subscription.
