Patrick Stewart has bad news for Charles Xavier and X-Men fans

Patrick Stewart commented on a meeting with Marvel head Kevin Feige and if he would play Professor X again.

With Fox now owned by Disney and the film rights to X-Men back at Marvel, the incorporation of mutants and the Children of the Atom into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is only a matter of time. Though, it may happen at a later phase than most would like — next year at the reported earliest.

There will be major changes and it would be a rather huge surprise if the X franchise didn’t receive a full-blown reboot, as Spider-Man did when he was grafted into the MCU. Fans, however, hope to hold onto some things from the Fox era, such as Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, despite his pretty definitive sendoff in Logan.

Somebody else who went quietly into that good night in Logan was Professor Charles Xavier. Impaled as he was by the claws of X-24, some don’t see that as the end for Prof. X as played by Sir Patrick Stewart. And an excuse could be contrived to bring him in as-is, letting Stewart continue in a role he has been in for two decades.

He teased that possibility in a recent interview with Digital Spy. During that talk, Stewart revealed he met with Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige and had “long conversations” in which Xavier was discussed and other undisclosed topics and “suggestions” were on the table. This is the start of what the Picard actor had to say:

"“I met with Kevin Feige a couple of months ago and we had long, long conversations. And there have been moves and suggestions, which include Charles Xavier.”"

But unfortunately, what he added is likely to deflate the sails of everyone with high hopes Feige might strike a deal the veteran of screen and stage. The aforementioned swan-song picture, Logan, presents an existential problem, said Stewart:

"“Here’s the problem… If we had not made Logan, then yes, I would probably be ready to get into that wheelchair one more time and be Charles Xavier. But Logan changed all that.”"

Recounting an anecdote from the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, Stewart added he and co-star Jackman reached the conclusion that they were saying goodbye to their characters:

More from Marvel Cinematic Universe

"“The first time that Hugh [Jackman] and I saw the film in public was at the Berlin Film Festival, which is where the movie premiered. Shortly after Xavier’s death scene, I found myself getting very emotional but I had to keep a hold of myself because we were sitting in the middle of this cinema.Hugh took my hand, and we held hands with the last seven or eight minutes of the film because there was so many things we were upset about. We were moved by the story. We were moved by one another. We were moved by the movie. But we also both made the decision that we were saying goodbye to our characters as well.”"

Before Logan, Stewart stated in the past he’d be open to returning to the wheelchair. He did once before, with scarce explanation, after Charles was disintegrated by Jean Grey in X-Men: The Last Stand. By the sound of it now, however, he appears to be done, and we’ll be seeing a whole new class at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters led by a new bald psychic.

Next. Is Marvel Comics hinting at a mutant/human war?. dark

We are getting, in a way, the first part of that equation this spring, with the long-delayed The New Mutants finally hitting cinemas, which will be the last hurrah for Fox’s continuity.

Patrick Stewart is, however, reprising his other iconic role, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, when Star Trek: Picard premieres on CBS: All Access this week.

Home/Marvel Cinematic Universe