Although 2017’s Logan saw Patrick Stewart’s Professor X die at the hands of X-24, just like how that movie didn’t mark the end of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine after all, we’ve been able to see the Star Trek: The Next Generation alum return as the powerful leader of the X-Men. Stewart appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Earth-838’s Charles Xavier, one of the members of that Earth’s Illuminati. However, Stewart has now shared that filming his appearance in the fifth of Phase Four’s Marvel movies in order was “frustrating and disappointing,” though for an understandable reason.
While chatting with Stewart, Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz speculated that we might see the actor reprise Professor X in Deadpool 3, the upcoming Marvel movie where Jackman is making his grand Wolverine return. Stewart admitted it “has come up,” but acknowledged that the last two-three years have “so difficult” when it comes to labor problems and health problems, with him specifically bringing up COVID regarding the latter. As it turns out, COVID also factored into his underwhelming Multiverse of Madness experience, with him saying:
It was alone. I think the big scene, each one of the leading actors had the same experience. They were shot on their own. It was frustrating and disappointing, but that's how it has been. The last few years have been challenging.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness began shooting in November 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, and six months after cameras were originally supposed to begin rolling. So in that sense, while it is disappointing he wasn’t able to appear alongside the other actors who comprised the Illuminati, it was necessary to keep apart from one another for health reasons. Earth-838’s Illuminati also included Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo, Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter (not the same one from What If… ?), Lashana Lynch’s Maria Rambeau/Captain Marvel, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt and John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic.
While it remains to be officially confirmed if Patrick Stewart will reprise some version of Professor X in the coming years, one thing is certain: don’t expect to see the Earth-838 variant again. This Charles Xavier, who took after his X-Men: The Animated Series counterpart by wearing a green suit and sitting in a floating yellow hoverchair, was killed by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, just like nearly all of his other teammates. Interestingly enough, Hayley Atwell also described her Doctor Strange 2 experience as “frustrating,” although in her case, that was due to her character being “immediately cut in half by a frisbee” rather than having to shoot her scenes solo.
As for where we might see Patrick Stewart return as Professor X if that is indeed on the table, Deadpool 3 is the likeliest bet. In addition to Hugh Jackman being a key member of Deadpool 3’s cast, we also recently saw leaked set photos of Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson fighting Sabretooth, and there have been many other characters from the 20th Century Fox-era Marvel movies rumored to appear. However, with two more Avengers movies also on the way that will bring The Multiverse Saga to a close, we can’t rule out him cameoing or playing an integral role in one or both of them either.
Obviously we’ll let you know if it’s announced if Stewart is coming back as the powerful telepath. For now, remember that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.
