Patrick Stewart’s final movie, Avengers: Doomsday, will bring him back as Professor Charles Xavier for a ninth film appearance. Marvel Studios confirmed that the superhero epic, scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, will be his last on-screen performance.

Stewart died in Los Angeles on October 28 at the age of 86. His spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, said he had experienced a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Neither diagnosis had previously been disclosed.

Marvel said Stewart played Xavier with “extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity,” defining the character across more than 25 years. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo called him a childhood hero, a generous collaborator and an actor of “unmatched integrity.”

How many times did Patrick Stewart play Professor X?

Stewart first appeared as the telepathic leader of the X-Men in 2000’s X-Men. His calm authority made Professor X one of his two most recognisable screen characters, alongside Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek.

His nine film appearances as Charles Xavier are:

  • X-Men in 2000
  • X2: X-Men United in 2003
  • X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006
  • X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009
  • The Wolverine in 2013
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014
  • Logan in 2017
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022
  • Avengers: Doomsday in 2026

The inclusion of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness matters because some early accounts of his Xavier roles omitted it. The Associated Press confirmed that Doomsday marks his ninth film appearance as the character.

In an interview published in July, Stewart said older actors received fewer opportunities but that worthwhile offers were still reaching him. He had no intention of formally stepping away.

“I can’t imagine ever officially retiring,” he said. “I’ll always and forever be an actor.”

His last roles showed the full width of his career

A Marvel blockbuster may provide the final entry in Stewart’s filmography, but it represents only one section of a career that spent far more time onstage than aboard the Enterprise or inside the X-Mansion.

Before Avengers: Doomsday, Stewart voiced Sir Richfield in The Sheep Detectives, a film about crime-solving sheep. The contrast is considerable: one late role involved a mystery-solving farm animal, while the other placed him inside Marvel’s largest ensemble franchise. Actors do like range, and Stewart had rather more than most.

He spent almost two decades with the Royal Shakespeare Company and won three Olivier Awards. His performance in Macbeth earned him a Tony nomination, while his spoken-word work brought him a Grammy in 1996. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in 2010.

Colleagues remember more than the famous roles

Hugh Jackman, Stewart’s longtime X-Men co-star, called him “one of the greats of stage and screen” and “a tremendous friend and man.” Jackman added: “I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”

Ian McKellen said Stewart “wore his heart on his sleeve” and described him as someone “to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.” William Shatner remembered him as “a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor,” while George Takei said Picard encouraged another generation to imagine a better version of humanity.

Rebecca Romijn offered a less formal but equally affectionate memory, describing Stewart as “delicious, hilarious, naughty” and inspirational.

Stewart is survived by his wife, singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell, and his children, Sophia and Daniel. His final performance will now arrive posthumously when Disney and Marvel Studios release Avengers: Doomsday in cinemas on December 18.