Doctor Strange 2 Producer Teases the Truth Behind Patrick Stewart's Return as Professor X
Patrick Stewart is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point during the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While the actor does appear to be playing a version of Professor Charles Xavier, it may not be the version of the character fans have seen before. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Marvel Studios producer Richie Palmer teased the idea that Stewart is playing one of the "infinite" versions of Xavier, and not necessarily the one that appeared in 20th Century's X-Men franchise.
"I'll quote the first X-Men movie and say, 'Are you sure you saw what you saw?'," Palmer told the magazine. "There are infinite versions of these characters, and just because you may have heard something familiar doesn't mean it's someone you have seen before."
As seen in the promotional campaign for Doctor Strange 2, there is already a handful of Doctor Strange variants on tap, so it makes sense to include one or two for Xavier and other members of the Illuminati.
Speaking of which, Palmer went on to confirm that while some rumors surrounding cameos are true, others simply are not.
"As you saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home, some rumors ended up being true, some did not," the producer added. "I would love to see Tony again, but some rumours are just rumours. I will say that I love the Illuminati. But if we ever introduce the Illuminati in the future, it might be more MCU-driven and have some more ties to our characters in the MCU, versus just replicating what's in the comics."
Disney's official synopsis for the film can be found below.
"To restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers' most powerful Scarlet Witch, Wanda. But a terrible threat looms over humanity and the entire universe that no longer can be done by their power alone. Even more surprising, the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange."
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters May 6th. What other characters do you think will end up appearing in the upcoming feature? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!