X-Men Apocalypse: James McAvoy finally goes bald for Professor X role

Director Bryan Singer posts photo to Instagram captioned “Xavier reborn”

James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart play Professor Charles Xavier

James McAvoy has finally sacrificed his locks to well and truly solidify himself as Professor X.

Having played the iconic mutant previously in 2011’s X-Men: First Class and 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, McAvoy was rather hirsute for the role even though Patrick Stewart, who played an older version of the same character, was totally hairless.

In an Instagram post by Bryan Singer, director of the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse, you can see the actor getting his head shaved in preparation for the role, caption beneath reading “Xavier reborn”.

James McAvoy getting his head shaved for X-Men Apocalypse, from Bryan Singers Instagram @bryanjaysinger (https://instagram.com/p/2cNOOLxDxE/?taken-by=bryanjaysinger)

Apocalypse moves the X-Men story on by a decade, being set in the '80s while Future Past was set in the 1970s and First Class in the 1960s – explaining why McAvoy hasn’t lost his locks before now.

Stewart has previously stated that it is "very unlikely" he will return for the sequel which will be the ninth film in the series, coming just months after the Deadpool spin-off.

X-Men: Apocalypse has a release date of 27 May 2016.