Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has led the industry’s response to the death of Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor who played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. As IGN reports, Stewart died on Wednesday, 28 October, aged 86, after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia. His family announced the news on 29 October. We covered the original announcement of his death here.
In a statement shared with Variety, Feige said he would never forget seeing Stewart on the set of the first X-Men. He had known the actor for years as Captain Picard, and Stewart proved to be “brilliant, charming, warm, generous” in person. Feige added that Stewart’s legacy lives on in the work and in the many people he mentored, and closed with “He will be deeply missed.”
Marvel Studios also posted a statement on X. It says Stewart brought Xavier to life with “extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity”. The studio traced the character from X-Men through Logan to Avengers: Doomsday and sent its condolences to his wife, Sunny, and his children.
The tributes from his co-stars were more personal. Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine opposite Stewart, posted on Instagram with two photos from their years together. He called Stewart “a tremendous friend and man” and said he would miss him “all of my days”.
Ian McKellen, Stewart’s close friend and fellow X-Men star, wrote a longer remembrance. He described a proud Yorkshireman who “wore his heart on his sleeve”, and recalled how the two met as young actors at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also remembered the street conversation in which Stewart told him about the Star Trek offer, and McKellen asked whether he wanted to risk being lost in Hollywood. McKellen ended by noting that Stewart’s farewell performance in Avengers: Doomsday has yet to be seen.
Rebecca Romijn, who appeared in both Star Trek and X-Men, shared a short video on Instagram. She remembered Stewart as “positively delicious, hilarious, and naughty”, with a booming voice built for the stage.
Filmmakers also weighed in. The Russo Brothers said Stewart was one of the childhood heroes they had been lucky enough to work with, and thanked him for “teaching us humanity”. David Hayter, who wrote the 2000 X-Men screenplay, recalled Stewart’s kindness on set and his friendship with McKellen. Logan director James Mangold posted a wordless tribute on X, a GIF from the film alongside a photo of an empty wheelchair. The image carries extra weight because Logan showed an ageing Xavier who also suffered from dementia.
Stewart’s last screen appearance is still to come. IGN reports that Avengers: Doomsday marks his final film performance, with Stewart reprising Xavier. That puts him in the film that leads into the saga’s finale, which Feige has said is Marvel’s only 2027 release.
In lieu of flowers, Stewart’s family asked friends and fans to donate to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
What was Patrick Stewart’s final film?
IGN reports that Avengers: Doomsday will be his final film performance, with Stewart reprising Charles Xavier.
How did Patrick Stewart die?
His family said he died on 28 October after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia, and announced it publicly on 29 October.
How can fans honour his memory?
His family asked for donations in lieu of flowers, to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
