Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has seemed like a game-changer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially with so many projects as of late centering on the multiverse. Now, it appears the movie will do something huge fans waited a long time to see, as a prominent X-Men character makes a cameo in the latest trailer. He isn't shown on-screen, but a voice can be heard that makes it seem very likely Patrick Stewart (and not James McAvoy) is appearing as Professor Charles Xavier in the upcoming film.
The scene in question comes midway through the latest trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in which Doctor Strange is in shackles. After we hear the familiar voice, we see him looking at a bald-headed man who is only barely on screen.
The voice can be heard saying:
We should tell him the truth.
I'm not sure what to make of that, and it's hard to tell what "truth" there is to tell in a trailer as bonkers as the latest from Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Hell, having an official member of the X-Men (assuming that is indeed what is happening here) within the MCU for reals is a game-changer that can turn Marvel's live-action future on its head.
Check out the full trailer below!
There have been rumors ahead of this reveal that Patrick Stewart was involved in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it wasn’t anything that fans believed was a sure thing. In fact, Patrick Stewart mentioned in an interview that he had conversations with Marvel’s Kevin Feige at one point about returning as his iconic character, but he declined.
The reason Patrick Stewart (who returned to another one of his iconic characters not long ago) turned the opportunity down back then was due to the release of Logan. Professor Charles Xavier died in the hit Hugh Jackman-led movie, which seemed to be why the actor wasn’t interested in reprising the character for the MCU. An appearance by Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness confirming the leader of the X-Men as being alive could perhaps retcon Logan, which might not be something Stewart appreciates.
Of course, the MCU’s introduction of the multiverse creates a scenario in which Patrick Stewart can portray Charles Xavier, introduce the rest of the X-Men, and not compromise the fate of the character in Logan. It’s possible, and even likely, this Xavier is a variant from a completely different timeline, similar to characters we’ve seen in Loki. We even see two versions (if not more) of Doctor Strange, so there’s a high likelihood that this is a different Xavier than the one we’ve seen in the past. Again though, one can never assume too much when it comes to the multiverse, especially in a movie that looks as off-the-wall as this one.
Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuts in theaters on Friday, May 6. Obviously, there's going to be even more interested parties now that at least one member of the X-Men is involved, so be sure to keep an eye on updates and what other surprises may surface in the coming months, and check out CinemaBlend's Upcoming Marvel Movies guide to discover all of the blockbusters coming from the franchise in the coming years.
