We already knew that Logan would be Hugh Jackman’s last appearance as Wolverine, after 17 years playing the character in nine films. Now, according to a Sirius XM interview, it looks like it will also be Sir Patrick Stewart’s last appearance as Professor Charles “X” Xavier.
Stewart has played Professor X since 2000, when he first appeared in X-Men. He has since reprised his role in X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and finally, Logan.
While quite a few of the X-Men films have had a middling critical reception, the early buzz around Logan is pretty positive–and Stewart seems to agree about the film’s emotional impact. After re-watching the film in Berlin with Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold beside him, he came to the below revelation:
“I was so moved by it, much more moved than I had been the first time of seeing it. Maybe it was the company of these two guys, but the movie ended and — this is an admission — but at one point [Hugh] reached out, and he took my hand in those last few minutes, and I saw him go [mimes wiping a tear from his eye] like this, and then I realized I had just done the same thing. Then, the movie ended…and we were going to be taken up on stage, but not until the credits were over. So, we had some time to sit there, and as I sat there, I realized there will never be a better, a more perfect, a more sensitive, emotional, and beautiful way of saying au revoir to Charles Xavier than this movie. So, I told [Hugh] that same evening, ‘I’m done too. It’s all over.'”
The Sirius XM interview in which Stewart shared this story will not be available on Entertainment Weekly‘s EW radio channel until March 3, so we don’t have the context for the above quote–only what Entertainment Weekly shared on their website. It’s possible that this should be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, I wouldn’t be shocked if Stewart later decides on a final bow that places his Professor X alongside long-time costar and friend Sir Ian McKellan’s Magneto. But given how long Stewart has held the role, and how moved he was by the character’s treatment in Logan, it would also be a fitting time to retire.
At the New York premiere of Logan, Jackman also reiterated his gratitude for his time as Wolverine. “This is like a dream. After 17 years, I feel I’ve met every Wolverine and X-Men fan [in the street]…Honestly, these 17 years would not have been possible without you. I love this character, and I love you guys.”
Directed by James Mangold and also starring Dafne Keen as X-23, Logan lands in theaters on March 3.
(Via Comics Alliance, Entertainment Weekly, and The Hollywood Reporter; image via 20th Century Fox)
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