Patrick Stewart’s Professor Charles Xavier remains one of Marvel’s most enduring screen portrayals, and a version of the character is set to resurface in “Avengers: Doomsday.” But Xavier’s story stretches far beyond Stewart’s time in the wheelchair. For a deeper look at the strange, complicated, and often chaotic life of Professor X, watch Looper’s video above.
Charles Xavier, the founder of the X-Men, made his comic book debut in 1963’s “X-Men” #1. As one of the Marvel universe’s most powerful telepaths, he spent his younger years traveling the world before losing the use of his legs and devoting himself to the future of mutantkind. Like his longtime rival and uneasy ally Magneto, Xavier has never been a simple hero. Over the decades, he has been written as a noble leader, a dangerous manipulator, a morally gray strategist, and, at times, an outright villain. James McAvoy’s version of the character has explored some of that inner conflict on-screen, though the movies have rarely pushed Professor X fully into villain territory.
Professor X is a seasoned big screen veteran
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“Avengers: Doomsday” is only the latest film to bring Charles Xavier into the spotlight. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an alternate-universe Xavier previously appeared in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Across the broader “X-Men” movie timeline, Stewart first played the role in 2000’s “X-Men,” quickly becoming nearly as central to the franchise as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. He later returned for major appearances, including James Mangold’s haunting franchise outlier “Logan.” McAvoy’s younger Xavier also became a key part of the series, and both versions memorably shared the screen in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
With Marvel’s eventual MCU “X-Men” reboot expected to reintroduce Charles Xavier for a new era, Professor X is unlikely to disappear from screens anytime soon. That makes now an ideal moment to revisit his long and tangled history — and Looper’s video above is a strong place to start.
“Avengers: Doomsday” premieres on December 18, 2026.
