Patrick Stewart On Multiverse Of Madness Return After Professor X’s Death

Patrick Stewart opens up on the return of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film, a key part of Marvel’s Phase 4, will premiere in the US on May 6 after considerable delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Benedict Cumberbatch will once again be donning the red cape as the enigmatic Sorcerer Supreme, dealing with the aftermath of his accidental opening of the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Alongside Cumberbatch, the cast includes Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Benedict Wong, all returning for their previous MCU roles alongside newcomer Xochitl Gomez, who will play America Chavez.

Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange 2 has been making headlines since its announcement, but the hype reached new levels recently after a trailer debuted during the Super Bowl. It showed off the movie’s supposed horror-tone, along with the characteristically stunning visual effects that fans have grown to associate with Doctor Strange. There has also been a lot of conversation online about the massive cast of characters, which includes not only the aforementioned MCU regulars and new additions such as Chavez, but also dark variants of Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff. Perhaps the most discussed aspect of the trailer, however, is the snippet of Patrick Stewart’s voice that can be heard, which the actor recently confirmed is him, meaning that his character Professor X will appear in Doctor Strange 2.

Now, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Stewart elaborates on his return to the character, although he is hesitant to spill any details. He explains that Professor X has already died twice in the X-Men films, so he must have a kind of Superman quality to him. This is all the hint he gives, however, as the characteristically secretive nature of the MCU makes it a sensitive area for him to discuss. Check out Stewart’s quote below:

This is a very delicate area… All I can say to you is we’ll have to see. But bear in mind that Professor Xavier has already died twice. I think he must have some sort of Superman quality.

Whether Professor X dies again in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be interesting to see. The character’s first resurrection came after the end of X-Men: The Last Stand, where he managed to avoid disintegration by the Phoenix through transferring his consciousness into a comatose man. It seemed, however, that Xavier’s death in Loganwas more final, but the recent confirmation of his reappearance contradicts that.

It is likely that Stewart’s return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis a result of the film’s multiverse elements; the much-speculated first incarnation of the Illuminati, which many fans suspect will appear in the film, could be comprised of members from multiple, different realities. This could then be used to bridge the gap between the X-Men series and the MCU, which fans have eagerly anticipated, but this Professor X could also be a different variant from the ones fans have grown accustomed to. However, this is all still speculation, and Stewart’s hesitancy to elaborate on the details of Professor X’s return leaves prospective viewers pondering how the movie will explain his return to one of his most lasting characters.

Source: Comicbook.com