Professor X Cameo Actually Allows MCU's Real X-Men To Be Wildly Different
This post contains brief spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a cameo from Patrick Stewart's Professor X, with this cameo opening up the possibility for the MCU's Earth-616 X-Men to be very different from what has come before. Patrick Stewart began playing Professor X in 2000's X-Men, before seemingly departing the role following 2017's Logan. However, given the possibility of the X-Men appearing in the MCU following Disney's 20th Century Fox takeover, speculation turned to who would play the iconic leader of the X-Men for Marvel Studios.
While many names have been raised in regards to who will play Professor Charles Xavier in the MCU, Patrick Stewart has always been a popular choice for reprising his role. A precedent for a past actor returning for a new iteration had already been set with JK Simmons returning as J Jonah Jameson. It caused much excitement then when Professor X appeared in the Doctor Strange 2trailer, showing a possible return for the actor to the role long-term.
Related: Doctor Strange 2's Post-Credits Scenes Explained (They're Both Important)
However, with Patrick Stewart returning for only a relatively small cameo role in Doctor Strange 2, Marvel may now have the opportunity to change up the casting for the X-Men for a few different reasons. These reasons largely come from the decision for the MCU to deal with the concept of the multiverse beginning in Phase 4. Marvel Studios' projects like WandaVision, Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange 2 have opened the MCU up to endless possibilities going forward, with the exploration of the multiverse in the latter hinting at changes for the MCU's X-Men after the cast
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