Patrick Stewart dies at 86: Picard and Professor X remembered
From Star Trek: The Next Generation to X-Men and Logan, a look at what he meant to genre film, including his return in Avengers: Doomsday
Sir Patrick Stewart has sadly passed away. We've lost him at the age of 86, and I'm completely shattered by the news, having only just learned it. He's simply a legend of entertainment, from Jean-Luc Picard to Professor Charles Xavier, and I truly believe Marvel's movie universe wouldn't exist without him.
We were very excited to see Stewart in Avengers: Doomsday. We would have loved to see him take a bigger part in the promotional campaign for that film, and we're glad he's back.
How Patrick Stewart embodied Professor Charles Xavier
As Professor Charles Xavier, Stewart brought sophistication, poise, wisdom and dignity to the role. He embodied that character for us, and every time he appeared in a film as Professor X, he completely commanded the scene.
Because of what he gave the character, he made us grieve Xavier every single time. His deaths in these films were never something passing, even though Professor X died many times on screen, and each time we felt it. That only proves how skilled an actor he was, and how remarkable the performances he could deliver were. His work in Logan (2017) was transcendent, and how much his return in Avengers: Doomsday matters shows how important he is to all of us.
Why I believe X-Men (2000) and Patrick Stewart made the MCU possible
In X-Men in 2000, Stewart was more or less the biggest star in that cast. Hugh Jackman and James Marsden were not as famous as getting Jean-Luc Picard. He brought a prestige to Marvel films that hadn't existed until then. Yes, Blade was great, but getting Jean-Luc Picard to play Professor X was enormous.
His Avengers: Doomsday scenes will land differently now
I keep thinking about what his Doomsday scenes will feel like now. They were likely to be great already, since he always delivers a standout performance, but they'll carry a very different weight, especially if his character doesn't survive the events of the film. There's a double meaning there.
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, and a career across genres
It's hard to talk about Stewart without mentioning his professional and personal relationship with Ian McKellen. Both are classically trained Shakespearean actors who delivered roles spanning decades in film and television, particularly in genre films. Both are deeply loved, wonderful off screen and in interviews, and always fun with fans.
Star Trek: The Next Generation meant a great deal growing up. Stewart was also the original Gurney Halleck in David Lynch's Dune.
He was in his eighties, and both he and McKellen were in the autumn of their lives, yet you always assume he'll be with us forever. This one hurts.
What other creators are saying
More on Patrick Stewart →From a poor Yorkshire childhood to the bridge of the Enterprise, a look at the man and the captain side by side, and the principles that sometimes cost someone else
Patrick Stewart dies at 86, and Picard was the captain Starfleet measured itself by →
The actor behind Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier died at his Los Angeles home following Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, his longtime spokesperson announced
From a heart surgery chosen out of pride to a rescue that left the Enterprise with a skeleton crew, these are the captain's worst calls, counted down
An insider report claimed Doctor Doom would weaponize Sentry and the Void, with Charles Xavier attempting to end the Void in a mental battle
Watch the original
@newrockstars · YouTube
Adapted with AI from New Rockstars' video of 30 October 2026 and checked against the video before publication. Editorial standards · Corrections
More from @newrockstars
All →
Make videos? Your next one could be an article here.
We turn your videos into articles under your name, linked back to the original. You keep 60% of what they earn, non-exclusive, and you can leave whenever you like.
Become a SubPlotter →