Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: James McAvoy responds to rumours that he’s playing Charles Xavier in film

While Patrick Stewart’s name may be synonymous with X-Men’s Professor Charles Xavier, James McAvoy did a creditable job playing a younger version of the character in three X-Men films. With Patrick returning to play the character in Marvel’s upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there were speculation that James may have been roped in too. In a recent Instagram Live Q&A with fans, the actor addressed these rumours. Also read: Doctor Strange 2: New promo shows Zombie Wanda, fans again spot Iron Man. Watch

While he was speaking to fans on Instagram Live, James was asked by one fan if he was appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The actor simply replied, “No!” When another fan asked if he missed playing the X-Men character, James said, “No, I don’t think so.”

While it was Patrick Stewart who first brought Professor X to the screen in the 2000 film X-Men, James played a younger version of the character in X-Men: First Class (2011). He reprised the role in three subsequent films X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019).

Doctor Strange 2 deals with the concept of multiple universes and variants of characters and hence, it would include versions of many familiar characters. Professor X is one of them. Patrick’s appearance in the film is almost confirmed. The actor’s voice was heard in the latest trailer and after initially denying it, the veteran actor confirmed it himself.

The film is rumoured to feature several other starry cameos. There are reports that Tom Cruise is playing a version of Iron Man, the character immortalised by Robert Downey Jr in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Other reported cameos include Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, and Halle Berry as Storm. However, none of these are confirmed.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. The film, part of MCU’s Phase 4, will hit the screens on May 6, 2022.