The acclaimed British actor had completed filming his scenes for Avengers: Doomsday before his death aged 86, with Marvel Studios and Hollywood stars paying tribute to his extraordinary career.
Sir Patrick Stewart’s posthumous appearance as Professor Charles Xavier in the forthcoming Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday will come on December 18, following his death aged 86.
The beloved actor, best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the telepathic mutant Professor X in the X-Men franchise, died at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday, 28 October, following what his family described as a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
His appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for release on 18 December 2026, will reunite audiences with one of his most celebrated screen characters.
Marvel Studios paid tribute to the actor following the announcement of his death.
The studio said: “All of us at Marvel Studios are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart. Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from X-Men to Logan to Avengers: Doomsday.”
It added: “He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman. Our hearts go out to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends, and the countless fans around the world whose lives he touched with his art.”
Patrick’s death was announced in a statement published on his X account, confirming that he had been cared for by his wife, Sunny Ozell, 47, during his final days.
The statement said: “We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.”
Patrick had already filmed his scenes for Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to bring together characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including figures associated with the X-Men films.
His portrayal of Charles Xavier began with the original X-Men film in 2000 and continued across several instalments, including X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Logan.
He also returned to the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, appearing as a version of Xavier who belonged to the Illuminati.
The role brought Patrick renewed international recognition after he had already become a household name through Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran for seven seasons between 1987 and 1994.
He subsequently reprised Jean-Luc Picard in several films and the television series Star Trek: Picard, which concluded in 2023.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2022, Patrick said: “As the seven seasons of TNG (“The Next Generation”) went by, the distinction between Jean-Luc Picard and Patrick Stewart became thinner and thinner, until it was impossible for me to know where he left off and I began. So much of what I believed and felt went into that show.”
Patrick’s career began in British theatre, where he became an established Shakespearean performer with the Royal Shakespeare Company before achieving international television and film success.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for his services to drama.
Patrick also worked alongside his longtime friend Ian McKellen, 87, who played Magneto in the X-Men films.
Ian had initially advised Patrick against accepting the role of Picard, believing he should continue concentrating on his theatre career.
Patrick later admitted that he had also been reluctant to join the X-Men franchise.
He told The Guardian: “I said, ‘Look, I know this isn’t science fiction, but it’s fantasy, and I’ve done that.’ But they persuaded me that it wouldn’t be like ‘Star Trek,’ so I did it. And yet again I was proved wrong.”
Reflecting on his early years filming Star Trek, Patrick recalled struggling to adjust to the more relaxed atmosphere among his fellow cast members.
He told the New Yorker in 2023: “And one of the cast members said, ‘Oh, come on, Patrick, we’ve got to have some fun.’ And I thumped the chair and said, ‘We are not here to have fun’ — which they have never let me forget. They taught me so much about loosening up and being freer.”
Patrick is survived by Sunny, whom he married in 2013, and his two children from his first marriage.
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