Patrick Stewart’s final screen performance will be his return as Professor Charles Xavier in Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel confirmed the news in its tribute to the actor, according to Variety.
Stewart died on October 28 at 86. His death was announced the following day, prompting tributes from colleagues who had worked with him across the X-Men and Star Trek franchises.
His involvement in the upcoming superhero film had been announced in March 2025, when Marvel revealed an ensemble that included several returning actors from the original X-Men movies.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to open on December 18, 2026, according to Disney.
Professor X and Magneto Reunite Over a Chessboard
A teaser released January 6 shows Stewart’s Xavier and Ian McKellen’s Magneto sitting across a chessboard inside the damaged Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. James Marsden’s Cyclops also appears, removing his visor and unleashing an optic blast.
The returning cast includes Rebecca Romijn as Mystique and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler. Stewart had already entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, playing a version of Xavier from another universe.
Doomsday will mark his ninth film appearance as the character. He first played Xavier in 2000’s X-Men, returning in sequels including X2, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past, as well as Logan.
Stewart Said He Could Not Imagine Retiring
In an interview published by TV Insider on July 7, six days before his 86th birthday, Stewart was asked whether he was retiring, reducing his workload or becoming more selective about roles.
He acknowledged that opportunities grew scarcer as actors aged, but said interesting offers continued to arrive. He enjoyed taking on unfamiliar work, citing his role voicing a pig’s head in Riz Ahmed’s series Bait. “I can’t imagine ever officially ‘retiring.’ I’ll always and forever be an actor,” he said.
Stewart also reflected on returning to Jean-Luc Picard. He had once believed Star Trek: Nemesis would be his farewell to the character, only for Star Trek: Picard to bring him back. He said reuniting with his Next Generation castmates for the show’s final season had been a particularly happy experience.
The Russo Brothers Remember One of Their Childhood Heroes
The Russos shared a photograph of Stewart in Doomsday while paying tribute on October 29. They described him as one of the performers they had admired since childhood and thanked him for the humanity he demonstrated both professionally and personally.
Marvel’s separate statement praised the intelligence and warmth he brought to Xavier, as Entertainment Weekly reported. Hugh Jackman also remembered Stewart as a friend and said he had learned a great deal from working with him.
His Family Shared Details of His Final Days
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The statement posted to Stewart’s Instagram account said he died at his Los Angeles home in the care of his wife, singer Sunny Ozell, after living with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Family and friends had gathered around him, with music, prayer, laughter and tears accompanying his final days. Stewart also leaves two children from his first marriage.
In place of flowers, the announcement requested memorial contributions to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s caregiver resources, according to ITV News.