Marvel Studios is bringing back Patrick Stewart as Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday, but this has me worried that a shocking X-Men movie trend will be repeated in the MCU. Legendary English actor Patrick Stewart made his live-action debut as Charles Xavier in 2000’s X-Men, and has now portrayed the founder of the тιтular mutant team in eight feature films over 22 years. 2026’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday will mark his ninth appearance, and will extend his career as one of the longest-running Marvel actors ever, but I think this could spell bad news for Professor X.

Patrick Stewart is one of the greatest actors in history, so his return to the role of Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday has raised the caliber of the upcoming Phase 6 movie. He’ll join the likes of Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer, all also reprising their roles from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. I’m very excited about Marvel Studios revisiting the classic X-Men team in Avengers: Doomsday, ahead of the MCU’s own X-Men reboot, but I’m worried one unfortunate Professor X trend will also be continued.

Patrick Stewart’s Professor X Has Died On-Screen 3 Times Since His Live-Action Debut In 2000

Professor X Has Been A Very Unlucky Live-Action Character

It’s a shocking revelation, but Patrick Stewart’s version of Charles Xavier’s powerful Professor X has been killed three times on-screen in the 25 years since his debut in 2000’s X-Men. His first death was at the hands of Famke Janssen’s corrupted Jean Grey in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, as he was torn to shreds in her childhood home when her powers as the Phoenix emerged. This was hastily reversed, however, as he woke up in a new (the same) body, and approached Logan with a mission at the end of 2013’s The Wolverine.

This ultimately led to his second demise, however, ignoring the countless times he may have been killed in the future timeline of 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, the future-set Logan also saw Charles Xavier meet his demise in 2017. Logan depicted Xavier as an ailing old man, but he was eventually finished off by X-24, the clone of Wolverine. This marked the end of his Fox franchise career, but Stewart portrayed a variant in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, who unfortunately also met his end at the hands of Elizabeth Olsen’s twisted Scarlet Witch.

I’m Worried Avengers: Doomsday Will Kill Professor X For A Fourth Time

Charles Xavier Will Surely Meet His Demise In Avengers: Doomsday

Marvel Studios confirmed that Patrick Stewart’s Professor X will be returning to the MCU during the recent cast announcement for Avengers: Doomsday. The Russo brothers’ 2026 crossover event will be bringing back several classic X-Men characters, suggesting Earth-10005 will be revisited, perhaps being involved in an incursion event with the MCU’s primary continuity of Earth-616. While I’m thrilled that Patrick Stewart is reprising the role yet again, marking 26 years as Professor X, I’m very worried that Doomsday will continue Charles Xavier’s unfortunate twist.

I have no doubt that Professor X will meet his demise in Avengers: Doomsday, marking his fourth death on-screen. This could perhaps happen while he’s making attempts to save his world from a destructive incursion, or even during battle against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Avengers: Doomsday will give Patrick Stewart the chance to find new sides to Charles Xavier that we might not have seen before, but could also see him repeat one of his most tragic and repeтιтive trends from Fox’s X-Men franchise and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Why Professor X Dying In Avengers: Doomsday Might Actually Be A Good Thing

Marvel Studios Can Get Rid Of Patrick Stewart’s Professor X To Clear Room For Someone New

Of course, it would be a huge tragedy for us to see Patrick Stewart’s iconic X-Men hero meet his demise yet again, but this could also be the best choice for the character and for the MCU going forward. Patrick Stewart and, indeed, most of the classic X-Men cast are synonymous with their mutant characters, but they likely won’t be portraying these heroes and villains in the MCU’s own upcoming X-Men-centric stories. New actors will ᴀssume these mᴀssive roles, which means killing them off in Avengers: Doomsday will create room for these new stars to debut.

I can’t wait to see new iterations of some of Marvel’s most exciting and powerful X-Men characters make their way into the MCU. This includes Charles Xavier’s Professor X, who will surely be one of the cornerstones of the MCU’s X-Men reboot and its related projects. I thought Patrick Stewart was an inspired choice for Professor X, but at 84-years-old, I don’t see him continuing in the role any further than Avengers: Doomsday, or perhaps 2027’s Secret Wars. Charles Xavier’s upcoming death will allow someone new to create an entirely new version, which I’m very excited about.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

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  MCU Spider-Man 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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