Copy Or Reference assignment of Class Module

Question

I'm currently working on a task where I am just creating stub modules and stub Class modules for an excel spreadsheet that will loop through specific cells that contain an Excel vba macro name. I am trying to either copy or reference a class module. Either solution works since I am just creating stubs. The current goal is to just get some strings within the macros that are executed. Unfortunately, I have a restriction where I am unable to modify the vba code that is provided to me already.

Below is a simplified version of what I am trying to achieve.

' Class1 code
Public x As Integer

Private Sub Class_Initialize()
End Sub
Private Sub Class_Terminate()
End Sub

' Module1 Code

Function Copy_Class() As Class1
    Set Copy_Class = New Class1
    Copy_Class.x = 231
End Function

Sub testing_class_copy_or_reference()
    Dim orig_class As New Class1

    orig_class = Copy_Class ' <- Fails here
    Debug.Print orig_class.x
End Sub

I do have a workaround fix and that is to do Set orig_class = Copy_Class but, again, the goal is to not have to modify the provided vba macros.