'I’ll always and forever be an actor': Sir Patrick Stewart's final screen role will feature in Avengers: Doomsday

Veteran actor Patrick Stewart‘s final movie role will be in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, where he will return to play iconic Professor Charles Xavier from the X-Men series. This will be his ninth screen appearance playing the iconic character. Stewart died on Wednesday at the age of 86 after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia.

“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,” Marvel Studios wrote in a tribute following his death.

“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.”

Between his debut in X-Men and his upcoming appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, Stewart regularly reprised his iconic role as Professor Charles Xavier across an array of Marvel sequels, prequels, and spin-offs.

His tenure included 2003’s X2: X-Men United, 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2013’s The Wolverine, 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, and 2017’s critically acclaimed Logan.

Alongside his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise, Xavier stands as one of the most defining and celebrated screen characters of Stewart's career.

‘I’ll always and forever be an actor’

In what would become one of his final interviews—published by TV Insider in July—Stewart reflected on his choice to suit up as Charles Xavier once more in Avengers: Doomsday and shared his enduring passion for the craft.

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

Avengers: Doomsday co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo shared their gratitude for having had the opportunity to collaborate with the screen icon. “We’ve been lucky enough to work with some of our childhood heroes. And Sir Patrick Stewart will always be one of them,” the Russo brothers stated. “A legendary actor with an unmistakable presence and an unmatched integrity. Thank you for entertaining all of us, sir. And for teaching us humanity, both on and off the screen.”

Avengers: Doomsday is slated to open in theatres on December 18.