Patrick Stewart Has “Every Confidence” an Upcoming Marvel Movie Will Bring Back Professor X
Patrick Stewart has teased that his iconic X-Men character, Professor X, could be making a comeback in an upcoming Marvel movie. During a recent podcast appearance, Stewart suggested talks are underway about reviving the mutant leader after his demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Will We See Professor X in Deadpool 3?
Deadpool 3 will unite Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool with Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine, characters intrinsically linked to Professor X in the X-Men films. Given this crossover, it’s natural to speculate whether Patrick Stewart might also reprise his role as their mentor Charles Xavier. As Stewart teased in the Happy Sad Confused podcast:
“I do now have every confidence that he’s still around,” Stewart said when asked about Professor X’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). “Deadpool 3 has come up. There’s been a process.”
While not outright confirming a Deadpool 3 appearance, Stewart admitted discussions have taken place during development.
“It has come up, there’s been a process,” he revealed. “But the last two to three years have been so difficult with the labor problems and the health problems, COVID, you know…”
Stewart last played Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, marking his first appearance in the MCU. He called the isolated filming process for that movie “frustrating and disappointing.” Perhaps a return in Deadpool 3 could provide a more collaborative and enjoyable experience.
Also Read: Patrick Stewart Changed His Star Trek Character’s History as He Couldn’t Master This Acting Skill
What Drives Patrick Stewart’s Passion for Professor X?
Since debuting as Professor X in 2000’s X-Men, Patrick Stewart has portrayed the character in 11 films over 22 years. What motivates him to keep returning to this iconic role?
For Stewart, Xavier represents an optimistic vision of human-mutant cooperation that still resonates today.
“Xavier is a mutant activist and founder of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, intended to house displaced or discriminated mutants,” Stewart explained.
He added that Xavier “believes in a future where his race is fully welcomed into society at large.” This aspirational philosophy has made the character endure. That, and the collaborative joy Stewart finds in playing him.
“My X-Men castmates are very dear friends,” he said. “Every opportunity to work with them is a delight.”
So whether in Deadpool 3 or a future X-Men project, it seems Stewart is always open to suiting up as Professor X again. As he put it, “There’s been a process.”
Professor X’s Complicated Journey in the X-Men Films
Across 11 films spanning from 2000 to 2022, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X has undergone a winding arc. He’s died and come back to life, met alternate future versions of himself, and wrestled with difficult choices about human-mutant relations.
Professor X first assembled the X-Men in the 2000 film, recruiting powerful mutants like Wolverine and Jean Grey into his school for gifted youngsters. He mentored these mutants while championing peaceful coexistence with humans.
In later films, Professor X had to stop his former friend Magneto from launching an all-out war against humanity. He also coped with losing his powers and struggled to prevent Jean’s destructive alter ego, Phoenix.
X-Men: Days of Future Past saw Stewart meet his younger self, played by James McAvoy. Together, they worked to change the dark future facing mutant-kind. Professor X’s journey ended tragically in Logan, where Stewart’s older Xavier was killed. But the multiverse has given him new life, and Stewart seems eager to explore more of this iconic character’s rich potential.
