Patrick Stewart confirmed during an interview with Larry King on Larry King Now, will not be returning to the X-Men franchise for the next movie, Apocalypse. He also confirmed that his close friend and co-star of the X-Men films, Ian McKellen, will not return as well.
“I was learning quite a lot more about it last night, and it is going to be looking very much at the earlier lives of all our characters. And so I don’t think we’ll be making an appearance.”
Well, that would make sense. And as much as I love both these men and how they act and react off one another when they’re chewing up a scene, I think they’re leaving the characters of Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr in the very capable hands of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. I really have no complaints about that.
But I also think that if ever the chance arose for either of them to take up the more aged leaders of their rivaling groups, they’d be up for it. What makes these two actors very respected is they know when to take a step back instead of trying to find a way to get in for the spotlight.
Who knows, though. Patrick Stewart’s Professor X may be needed for a possible cameo for other X-Men related characters (hint: Gambit).
(source)
