Is Patrick Stewart in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? Professor X’s future in the Marvel franchise explained

The upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will be Patrick Stewart’s final movie and his 9th time playing the iconic ‘X-Men’ character, Charles Xavier. Marvel Studios confirmed the news as a tribute to the late actor. He was 86 years old when he died after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia. Marvel Studios tribute read, “Stewart made his debut as Professor X in 2000’s ‘X-Men,’ where he embodied the composure, class, and wisdom of the beloved telepathic mutant and mentor of the X-Men.” It continued, “For more than 25 years, he brought a gravitas and profundity to the (character)… He returned to the role once more with 2026’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ his final on-screen appearance.”

Beyond ‘X-Men’ and ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ the late actor also appeared as his iconic character in a series of Marvel sequels, prequels, and reboots. This includes ‘X2: X-Men United’ from 2003, ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ from 2006, ‘X-Men: Origins: Wolverine’ from 2009, ‘The Wolverine’ from 2013, ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ from 2014, and ‘Logan’ from 2017. His roles in the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, Captain Picard, as well as Charles Xavier in the Marvel franchise, have been among the iconic characters he has played.

The late actor’s longtime ‘X-Men’ cast member Hugh Jackman wrote on Instagram, “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.” During Stewart’s TV Insider interview, he talked about returning to his role as Charles in ‘Avengers: Doomsday' and noted that he would never “retire” from acting. He shared, “As any actor my age will tell you, there are fewer and fewer available roles as we get older. That being said, I still continue to receive interesting offers and I love being challenged by new work. I can’t imagine ever officially retiring. I’ll always and forever be an actor.”

Marvel Studios’ statement also stated that they were mourning the loss of Stewart and that the company was “deeply saddened” by his passing. The statement reads, “Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from ‘X-Men’ to ‘Logan’ to ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman.”