Why Patrick Stewart was “unsure” about playing Professor X again
By Ashley Hurst
Be warned, there are SPOILERS for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead!
Patrick Stewart first portrayed Professor Charles Xavier over two decades ago in X-Men (2000) and continued to be a central figure within the X-Men movie franchise until the character ultimately met his demise in Logan (2017). Having told Xavier’s story so thoroughly, it makes sense that Stewart was “unsure” about returning to the character for a cameo appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But thanks to the multiverse, mortality isn’t exactly permanent.
In the sequel, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a teenager with the ability to hop between dimensions. Before long, the duo are chased across the multiverse by Wanda Maxomoff (Elizabeth Olsen), who thinks she can use Chavez’s powers to reunite with her children. While on the run, they travel through various dimensions, eventually meeting a superhero group named the Illuminati, helmed by none other than Professor X.
When Stewart first received the call from Marvel Studios to come back as Charles Xavier, he took a little convincing. “Just like Star Trek: Picard, I was a little unsure at first if it was a wise thing to do,” the actor told Variety. “Given that Logan had been such a powerful movie and we watched him die in Hugh Jackman’s arms.”
However, after watching the new movie, he’s proud to have had the chance to revisit the character in a different dimension: “So having seen [Doctor Strange 2] on Monday night, I’m very happy and very proud that I’ve been part of that.”
All things considered, his role in the movie was pretty small. Only a few minutes after his arrival, he’s killed by Wanda. “It was a day-and-a-half’s work,” Stewart said. “I was in a very different environment from the one that I had ever been in, in any of the X-Men movies. And just like Picard, I was grateful for it, because I could think refreshingly about who he was and how he related to others.”
Patrick Stewart was “dismayed” by Professor X’s new chair
In the X-Men movies, Xavier gets around in a wheelchair. But in Multiverse of Madness, he uses a yellow hoverchair that’s instantly recognizable by anyone who watched X-Men: The Animated Series.
“When I first saw the monster that I was going to be driving in this one, I was dismayed,” Steward said. “But it was fine. It worked very well. I had to bring it to a stop before a flight of stairs. That was my only concern, was that I would somehow get out of control and go all the way down the stairs in this thing!”
It looked pretty epic. And I was a big fan of how composer Danny Elfman managed to pay a little homage to the animated X-Men series score when Charles first appeared.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in theaters now!
Next. Who are the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?. dark
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