The first full-length trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sent the internet into meltdown, instantly launching a thousand theories are fans pored over single frame to see if they could deduce any secret cameo appearances or notable plot points from the footage.
Of course, one surprise guest was signposted pretty blatantly, with the dulcet tones of Patrick Stewart indicating that Charles Xavier is going to be the first major member of the X-Men to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Either he’s a multiversal Professor X or the real deal from the Fox franchise, because let’s not forget that Logan doesn’t take place until 2029, so in the current MCU timeline he would technically be very much alive. It doesn’t really matter, though, when a mere soundbite of the veteran actor was enough so send shockwaves throughout the internet.
In a minor stroke of coincidence, Stewart will have to do his best Andrew Garfield impression now that he’s on the press trail for Picard‘s second season. In an interview with ComicBook, he gave as dignified a response to the inevitable Doctor Strange inquiry as you’d expect.
“You know, people have been imitating my voice ever since I came on the stage 60 years ago. So, I can’t be held responsible for that.”
Stewart has been around the block enough to know what he can and can’t say, but we can safely say with some degree of conviction that we’ll be seeing him back in the chair when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives, and we can’t wait.