10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Patrick Stewart’s 8 Movie Appearances As Professor X
Summary
For as great as Stewart's performance has been for over twenty years playing the same character, the films he's appeared in haven't always treated Charles Xavier as well as his actor has. Often, the inconsistent writing of the convoluted X-Men timeline has gotten the better of Professor X, giving him some out-of-character cruelty, naïveté, or foolishness that clearly only exists to keep the plot moving. Other times, the character's mentor status got the better of him, keeping him out of the spotlight until James McAvoy took over in the prequel series.
10 Professor X Doesn’t Have Access To His Full Suite Of Powers The comics' Charles could do far more than read minds![]()
Professor X's mutant mutation manifests in the form of powerful telepathy, able to read and influence the minds of other humans with a mere thought. While Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy alike have been able to leverage this ability into many amazing applications, the X-Men films have left much of Professor X's extended repertoire of powers from the comics on the table. It's a shame audiences never got to see Stewart utilize Xavier's telekinesis, astral projection, or signature "mind bolts".
9 The Iconic Hoverchair Wasn't Done Justice Professor X's signature mobility device only got a single underwhelming appearance Close Rather than donning a flashy X-Men costume, Professor X became known in Marvel Comics for his bright yellow Hoverchair, a futuristic mobility device befitting of the X-Men's revered leader. Unfortunately, the movies have largely ignored this classic piece of equipment used by Charles, largely confining Stewart to a mundane wheelchair. While the MCU gave knowledgeable fans a taste of the Hoverchair in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the design of the chair wound up looking like a goofy bumper-car rather than a sleek transportation device.
8 Professor X Mostly Exists To Be Tragically Killed Off Patrick Stewart's character has died three times already Close Patrick Stewart's Professor X excels so well as a wise mentor, and surrogate father figure to much of the X-Men, that killing him off is a heartbreaking prospect sure to cause a powerful audience reaction. Unfortunately, the films featuring him are all too aware of this. Stewart's Charles Xavier has died three times now, at the hands of Jean Grey, Wolverine look-alike X-24, and Scarlet Witch. At this point, Xavier's death is beginning to lose its emotional impact.
7 Professor X’s Treatment Of Jean Grey Was Irredeemable Charles Xavier's actions don't always live up to his kind facade![]()
Charles Xavier is supposed to be a role model for the nascent X-Men, many of whom are still growing as adults, let alone powerful ostracized mutants. Yet Stewart's Xavier has done some pretty terrible things over the course of his career, not the least of which being his mistreatment of Jean Grey, who struggled with her psychic powers being linked to her unconscious mind. Rather than teach her to control her power, Xavier locked it away behind mental barriers without telling her, an action that would eventually come back to bite him with the emergence of the Phoenix.
6 Professor X Foolishly Wanders Into Stryker’s Trap Despite his mind-reading, Stewart's Xavier is easily manipulated![]()
While Patrick Stewart's Professor X has some strong reservations regarding needlessly using his powers, it would've behooved him to show more caution when in the presence of his arch rival and former friend, the villain Magneto. Upon visiting Magneto in prison, Professor X is knocked out by a debilitating gas, not taking enough caution to read Magneto's mind despite his obvious connection to Stryker and clear ill intent. It's an out-of-character moment of clumsiness that winds up leaving him in the custody of the vile head of the Weapon X program.
5 Professor X Ignores Doctor Strange’s Warning For No Good Reason Patrick Stewart's appearance in the Illuminati is unreasonably foolhardy![]()
Patrick Stewart reprized his role as an alternate-Earth version of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but didn't survive the translation without a hefty loss of sensibility. When Doctor Strange comes before the shadowy organization, hoping to convey the danger that the Scarlet Witch poses, he's shrugged off by the Illuminati, including Professor X. This version of the character may technically not be the same Charles, but if his experiences were even remotely similar to the Charles of the X-Men movies, he would've taken the time to probe Strange's mind to prove his concerns.
4 Days Of Future Past Proves Professor X’s Ideals Wrong In the end, Magneto may have had a point![]()
Charles Xavier has constantly championed the possibility of co-existence between mutants and humans throughout the entirety of the X-Men franchise. However, his moral compass seemed to have been undermined by the events of the films themselves, as X-Men: Days of Future Past presented a dark, dystopian future in which humans ultimately turned against mutantkind, unleashing the devastating Sentinels. It's hard not to agree with Magneto in earlier films after witnessing the ultimate extent to which humanity was willing to go when it came to eradicating mutants.
3 Professor X Is Directly Responsible For The Death Of The X-Men Though it may have been accidental, Charles Xavier was a walking psychic bomb![]()
The events of Logan presented audiences with the most tragic film incarnation of Professor X yet. Suffering from some form of dementia, Charles Xavier winds up losing control of his powers, resulting in a "psychic seizure" that injured hundreds of people and killed most of the X-Men in a disaster that became known as the Westchester Incident. Even if this incident was completely unintentional, it implies that Charles failed to take into account the possible adverse effects his powers could have on others as his mental health declined.
2 Professor X Was Too Quick To Forgive Magneto Time and time again, Professor X let his friendship with the villain cloud his judgement![]()
The most tragic recurring fixture of the X-Men's lore is Professor X and Magneto's former friendship, ultimately morphing into a reluctant conflict when their opposing ideals and life experiences got in the way. However poignant this friends-to-enemies arc was, Patrick Stewart's Xavier frequently allowed his past to cloud his present-day judgment when it came to dealing with Magneto. Other than letting his guard down at Magneto's prison in X2, he bafflingly allows Erik to intrude on his conversations with a volatile Jean Grey in X-Men: The Last Stand.
1 Stewart’s Portrayal Isn’t Totally Comics-Accurate As great as the distinguished actor's performance is, it isn't strictly the same character from the comics Close Sir Patrick Stewart rightfully made the character of Charles Xavier his own, but not every aspect of Professor X's comic origins made the translation to the big screen. For one, Stewart kept his native English accent, which set a precedent for James McAvoy's younger Charles to do the same, despite being shown as a child growing up in the 40s in New York. More importantly, however, is the realization that Professor X is a bit of a jerk in the comics, with plenty of shady uses of his powers that don't befit Stewart's image of X-Men's esteemed leader.
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- Professor X's powers are not fully explored in the X-Men films, missing out on telekinesis, astral projection, and mind bolts.
- The iconic hoverchair is not given proper representation in the movies, with a disappointing appearance in Doctor Strange.
- Professor X has died three times in the films, losing its emotional impact, and has made questionable decisions, such as mistreating Jean Grey and falling into traps.
For as great as Stewart's performance has been for over twenty years playing the same character, the films he's appeared in haven't always treated Charles Xavier as well as his actor has. Often, the inconsistent writing of the convoluted X-Men timeline has gotten the better of Professor X, giving him some out-of-character cruelty, naïveté, or foolishness that clearly only exists to keep the plot moving. Other times, the character's mentor status got the better of him, keeping him out of the spotlight until James McAvoy took over in the prequel series.
10 Professor X Doesn’t Have Access To His Full Suite Of Powers The comics' Charles could do far more than read minds
Professor X's mutant mutation manifests in the form of powerful telepathy, able to read and influence the minds of other humans with a mere thought. While Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy alike have been able to leverage this ability into many amazing applications, the X-Men films have left much of Professor X's extended repertoire of powers from the comics on the table. It's a shame audiences never got to see Stewart utilize Xavier's telekinesis, astral projection, or signature "mind bolts".9 The Iconic Hoverchair Wasn't Done Justice Professor X's signature mobility device only got a single underwhelming appearance Close Rather than donning a flashy X-Men costume, Professor X became known in Marvel Comics for his bright yellow Hoverchair, a futuristic mobility device befitting of the X-Men's revered leader. Unfortunately, the movies have largely ignored this classic piece of equipment used by Charles, largely confining Stewart to a mundane wheelchair. While the MCU gave knowledgeable fans a taste of the Hoverchair in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the design of the chair wound up looking like a goofy bumper-car rather than a sleek transportation device.
8 Professor X Mostly Exists To Be Tragically Killed Off Patrick Stewart's character has died three times already Close Patrick Stewart's Professor X excels so well as a wise mentor, and surrogate father figure to much of the X-Men, that killing him off is a heartbreaking prospect sure to cause a powerful audience reaction. Unfortunately, the films featuring him are all too aware of this. Stewart's Charles Xavier has died three times now, at the hands of Jean Grey, Wolverine look-alike X-24, and Scarlet Witch. At this point, Xavier's death is beginning to lose its emotional impact.
7 Professor X’s Treatment Of Jean Grey Was Irredeemable Charles Xavier's actions don't always live up to his kind facade
Charles Xavier is supposed to be a role model for the nascent X-Men, many of whom are still growing as adults, let alone powerful ostracized mutants. Yet Stewart's Xavier has done some pretty terrible things over the course of his career, not the least of which being his mistreatment of Jean Grey, who struggled with her psychic powers being linked to her unconscious mind. Rather than teach her to control her power, Xavier locked it away behind mental barriers without telling her, an action that would eventually come back to bite him with the emergence of the Phoenix.6 Professor X Foolishly Wanders Into Stryker’s Trap Despite his mind-reading, Stewart's Xavier is easily manipulated
While Patrick Stewart's Professor X has some strong reservations regarding needlessly using his powers, it would've behooved him to show more caution when in the presence of his arch rival and former friend, the villain Magneto. Upon visiting Magneto in prison, Professor X is knocked out by a debilitating gas, not taking enough caution to read Magneto's mind despite his obvious connection to Stryker and clear ill intent. It's an out-of-character moment of clumsiness that winds up leaving him in the custody of the vile head of the Weapon X program.5 Professor X Ignores Doctor Strange’s Warning For No Good Reason Patrick Stewart's appearance in the Illuminati is unreasonably foolhardy
Patrick Stewart reprized his role as an alternate-Earth version of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but didn't survive the translation without a hefty loss of sensibility. When Doctor Strange comes before the shadowy organization, hoping to convey the danger that the Scarlet Witch poses, he's shrugged off by the Illuminati, including Professor X. This version of the character may technically not be the same Charles, but if his experiences were even remotely similar to the Charles of the X-Men movies, he would've taken the time to probe Strange's mind to prove his concerns.4 Days Of Future Past Proves Professor X’s Ideals Wrong In the end, Magneto may have had a point
Charles Xavier has constantly championed the possibility of co-existence between mutants and humans throughout the entirety of the X-Men franchise. However, his moral compass seemed to have been undermined by the events of the films themselves, as X-Men: Days of Future Past presented a dark, dystopian future in which humans ultimately turned against mutantkind, unleashing the devastating Sentinels. It's hard not to agree with Magneto in earlier films after witnessing the ultimate extent to which humanity was willing to go when it came to eradicating mutants.3 Professor X Is Directly Responsible For The Death Of The X-Men Though it may have been accidental, Charles Xavier was a walking psychic bomb
The events of Logan presented audiences with the most tragic film incarnation of Professor X yet. Suffering from some form of dementia, Charles Xavier winds up losing control of his powers, resulting in a "psychic seizure" that injured hundreds of people and killed most of the X-Men in a disaster that became known as the Westchester Incident. Even if this incident was completely unintentional, it implies that Charles failed to take into account the possible adverse effects his powers could have on others as his mental health declined.2 Professor X Was Too Quick To Forgive Magneto Time and time again, Professor X let his friendship with the villain cloud his judgement
The most tragic recurring fixture of the X-Men's lore is Professor X and Magneto's former friendship, ultimately morphing into a reluctant conflict when their opposing ideals and life experiences got in the way. However poignant this friends-to-enemies arc was, Patrick Stewart's Xavier frequently allowed his past to cloud his present-day judgment when it came to dealing with Magneto. Other than letting his guard down at Magneto's prison in X2, he bafflingly allows Erik to intrude on his conversations with a volatile Jean Grey in X-Men: The Last Stand.1 Stewart’s Portrayal Isn’t Totally Comics-Accurate As great as the distinguished actor's performance is, it isn't strictly the same character from the comics Close Sir Patrick Stewart rightfully made the character of Charles Xavier his own, but not every aspect of Professor X's comic origins made the translation to the big screen. For one, Stewart kept his native English accent, which set a precedent for James McAvoy's younger Charles to do the same, despite being shown as a child growing up in the 40s in New York. More importantly, however, is the realization that Professor X is a bit of a jerk in the comics, with plenty of shady uses of his powers that don't befit Stewart's image of X-Men's esteemed leader.
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