For over two decades, Patrick Stewart has been synonymous with the iconic role of Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in the X-Men franchise and the MCU. His portrayal of the wise and powerful mutant leader has left an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.
However, when it came to reprising his role in the 2017 film Logan, Stewart couldn’t shake off concerns about potentially being typecast as an elderly character.
Patrick Stewart Was Concerned About Reprising His Role in Logan
The 2017 film Logan featured Patrick Stewart as the 97-year-old Charles Xavier suffering from dementia, leading to destructive telepathic seizures. In an interview with Mirror, the actor reflected on his discomfort over reprising his role, especially given the portrayal of the character.
He shared that he was concerned that committing to the character might typecast him into playing elderly roles exclusively in the future, which was not a direction he wished to take his career at the time. He said,
“There might have been moments before ‘Logan’ when I thought, ‘If I do this and I really go for it, am I only going to get cast as geriatrics from now on?’ I am not quite there yet.”
Despite his apprehensions, he accepted the offer to star in the movie and his confidence grew after meeting the film’s director, James Mangold. The filmmaker shared his vision for Professor X in the 2017 movie, stating that he wanted to delve into the character’s complexity.
“He too really wanted to push into the depths of Charles’s distress and despair and confusion and anger and fury – as well as his unpredictability,” he said. Stewart also shared that he enjoyed every aspect of working in the movie, especially the opportunity to collaborate with his X-Men co-star, Hugh Jackman.
Patrick Stewart on Reprising His Role in Doctor Strange 2
Patrick Stewart made his MCU debut with the 2022 Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The actor had a cameo as a variant of Professor X and one of the Illuminati counsel of Earth-838.
When asked about his experience of portraying the character in the MCU, he described it as “frustrating and disappointing.” In an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he reflected on the challenge of acting alone with a green screen.
“I 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.”
The X-Men star also hinted that he may return to the iconic role in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. “It has come up… there’s been a process,” he said, suggesting, “I have every confidence he’s still around.”
Stewart has been one of the cast members from the original X-Men film series who is expected to return in the upcoming film alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
Logan is available to stream on Disney+.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to release on July 26, 2024
