After having some fun denying his involvement in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Patrick Stewart has come clean. During the Super Bowl, a new spot was debuted for the upcoming Marvel sequel. It included what appeared to be the voice of Stewart as his X-Men character, Professor X. Because his face wasn't explicitly shown, Stewart initially denied that it was him in the trailer, initially suggesting that it was an impersonator.
In a new interview with Jake's Takes, the actor spoke about the Doctor Strange 2 situation. He was first asked about what would potentially happen if Doctor Strange and Professor X were ever to meet. This indirectly teases the two meeting in Doctor Strange 2 with Stewart detailing how Xavier would feel around Strange, if they were to share the screen in a certain movie coming out this May. As Stewart puts it:
"Professor X would be extraordinarily cautious and watchful, and perhaps feel a little insecure because there is something that is potentially dangerous about this man, and I think that would put Professor Xavier on guard."
Stewart then directly addressed his involvement in the film. This time, he came clean, confirming that it was his voice along with parts of his body shown in the footage. For some reason, however, Stewart says he didn't even recognize his own voice and didn't think much of the ad when it aired during the Super Bowl. He also had no idea that his name went viral that night and was pleasantly surprised to see so many fans happy about his return, all based on that brief, subtle tease in the trailer.
"I had my phone turned off as it happened and so I didn't hear anything. It wasn't until the next morning when I woke up and looked at my phone and found that I had been bombarded with responses. My PR people had sent me reactions that they had details and passed on to me. I actually didn't recognize my own voice. It sounded different. Whether I had a cold or something at the time, I don't know. But, I was astonished. All they saw was the back of my shoulder, and I think my earlobe, nothing else that there would have been so many connections made. It pleased me."
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness Will Be Filled With Surprises
If Marvel is giving us something as big as Patrick Stewart's return as Professor X in the trailer, we can only speculate what's coming in the full feature. After Spider-Man: No Way Home, the pressure is high to do something significant with a new film that focuses directly on the multiverse and the surprises that it will bring. Professor X is probably just a sign of many big things to come in the film.
Sam Raimi directs Doctor Strange 2 using a script by Michael Waldron. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. Patrick Stewart and many other surprise stars will be featured.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be released on May 6, 2022.