Deadpool & Wolverine: X-Men Star James McAvoy Says He Wasn’t Called for a Professor X Cameo

Warning: This article contains Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers. “McAvoy or Stewart?” a fourth-wall-breaking Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) quipped in 2016’s Deadpool, referencing James McAvoy’s and Patrick Stewart’s Professor X from the X-Men movies timeline. But for Deadpool & Wolverine — which stars Hugh Jackman as a Wolverine variant from the multiverse, Emma Corrin as Charles Xavier’s villainous twin sister Cassandra Nova, and a multitude of Fox-verse cameos — it was neither. 

McAvoy’s younger X-Man made a brief cameo in 2018’s Deadpool 2, and a version of Stewart’s Xavier appeared in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati (complete with the yellow hover chair and musical theme from X-Men: The Animated Series). Despite Stewart’s previous comments suggesting he might return in the then-untitled Deadpool 3, both Xaviers only appear in archival footage that rolls during the credits as a sendoff to the Fox-made Marvel movies.

“I knew I was going to be in the credits. But no, not this one, I don’t think so,” McAvoy told Variety when asked if he was approached to reprise his role in Deadpool & Wolverine. “If there was a world [where Xavier cameos], they clearly threw that idea out the window before calling me.” 

“If there’s a good role, if there’s a good opportunity to tell a good story, I’m always going to be interested in it,” the Speak No Evil actor added of potentially returning elsewhere. “No matter whether it’s something I’ve done before or something completely brand new. So if there’s good material, I’m always ready to respond. But it’s got to be good. And they’ve got to want to do that, so its all hypotheticals.”

McAvoy portrayed the prequel version of Professor X in 2011’s X-Men: First Class, 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, 2018’s Deadpool 2, and 2019’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix. In January, McAvoy said he’s had “no contact” from Marvel Studios but would be willing to reprise the role if “they want me.”

Along with Jackman, Marvel actors who returned to their roles years — or even decades — later included Chris Evans (as Fantastic Four‘s Johnny Storm/Human Torch), Jennifer Garner (as Daredevil and Elektra‘s Elektra Natchios), Dafne Keen (as Logan‘s Laura Kinney/X-23), Wesley Snipes (as Blade‘s titular vampire hunter), and Channing Tatum (as the Gambit from his unmade X-Men spinoff that was banished to the Void). Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing only in theaters.