In what could have been surprising but expected news, Deadpool & Wolverine will feature the return of Patrick Stewart as Professor X. There have been undying rumors that the Star Trek star will be part of Logan and Wade Wilson’s adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his first appearance in the Multiverse in Sam Raimi’s 2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As they say, time is the ultimate truth teller, and it’s now confirmed that Stewart will return to reprise his iconic role.
Deadline broke the news about Stewart’s appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine. While talking about the 83-year-old star’s new Netflix series, Barbaric, a best-selling Vault comic, with Sam Claflin, it revealed that he would be “reprising another popular character, Professor X,” in the threequel after his recent return as Jean-Luc Picard in Prime Video’s Star Trek: Picard.
Stewart was last seen as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he was part of the Illuminati counsel with Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), and Captain Britain (Hayley Atwell) in another multiverse realm. However, he met a gruesome death when the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) snapped his neck. And though he died in that realm, the actor himself teased his possible return in an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast in January.
“I have every confidence he’s still around,” he said.
When asked if he would appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, Stewart played coy, neither denying nor admitting the claim, hinting at a possibility. “It has come up; there’s been a process,” he added.
How will Patrick Stewart's return as Professor X fit into Deadpool and Wolverine?
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Professor X share an incredible bond. In fact, in James Mangold’s 2017 Logan, the adamantium-clawed superhero cared for an elderly Charles Xavier, who was suffering from dementia and losing control over his powers. Though the two both died in the film, a variant of Professor X appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
So, as Logan is also bound to return in Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s only fitting that Professor X will be part of it, too, especially since the villain, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), is his twin sister. As it happens, it may be the last time fans may see Stewart in one of his iconic roles. However, given that Marvel Studios is now working on its X-Men reboot, his fate remains to be seen.
Surely, this news excites fans, adding another reason they should see Deadpool & Wolverine. Who knows, he may not be the only original X-Men character, alongside Aaron Stanford as Pyro and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth, who will return in the movie.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to release on July 26.
