For those James McAvoy fans out there, your boy’s getting more work.  If you happen to be an X-Men fan as well as being a McAvoy fan, you may want to sit down.

The British actor who was last seen in The Last Station has just been cast to play young Charles Xavier in the next X-Men movie, X-Men: First Class.  The project is being directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass) for Fox studios.   According to Fox, “First Class” will “chart the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were the closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.

In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.”

Patrick Stewart has already given the character Charles Xavier life in the past X-Men movies, sporting the bald look that Xavier has in the comics.  There’s no word as of yet on whether McAvoy will also be bald for the character, but I honestly hope not.  While it’s more reflective of the comics to do so, McAvoy has such a beautiful head of hair that it would be a shame to cut it off (I’m a girl, give me a break).

Personally, I will always remember the actor for his absolutely stunning performance as Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, but McAvoy already has some comic book inspired work under his belt.  If you remember, McAvoy starred alongside Angelina Jolie in Wanted. His next big picture will be the Robert Redford post-civil war drama The Conspirator.

X-Men: First Class will hopefully be in production this summer and already has a release date of July 3, 2011.