Everett Collection/Getty Images
“Deadpool & Wolverine” director Shawn Levy shut down rumors on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that Patrick Stewart was going to return as Charles Xavier in the record-breaking Marvel blockbuster. While several actors who once played superheroes in Fox-backed Marvel movies popped up, from Jennifer Garner’s Elektra to Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Stewart was “never considered” to reunite with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine on screen.
“Never even discussed,” Levy said when asked about Stewart’s rumored return. “And it was studied. Studied by Emma Corrin big time because the Cassandra sibling-hood to Professor X is really interesting to us. But no, never discussed. Never, never considered.”
Fans thought Stewart might be back as Professor X in “Deadpool & Wolverine” due to his rich history of starring opposite Jackman in several “X-Men” movies dating back to the 2000 original. The 2017 tentpole “Logan” served as both Jackman and Stewart’s swan songs in Fox’s “X-Men” entries; the film featured the deaths of both Professor X and Wolverine. Marvel fans know Jackman returned in “Deadpool & Wolverine” as a different variant of Wolverine, not reversing the events of “Logan” was of utmost importance to the actor.
“It’s all because of this device they have in the Marvel world of moving around timelines,” Jackman previously told SiriusXM about returning. “Now we can go back because, you know, it’s science. So, I don’t have to screw with the ‘Logan’ timeline, which was important to me. And I think probably to the fans, too.”
Stewart popped up as Professor X again in Marvel’s 2022 tentpole “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” leading some to believe he might cameo again in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” But as Levy stressed, Stewart was never even discussed to return.
“Number seven was an actual wolverine,” Levy said. “We really wanted an actual wolverine, the animal, and he would maul Deadpool. But we came up with that idea too late to do a convincing digital wolverine, so that one’s in my back pocket should I need one for any sequels.”
One of the Wolverine variants actually seen in the movie is played by former Superman actor Henry Cavill. Levy told The New York Times that Cavill got sick because of having to smoke Wolverine’s cigar all day on set.
“He kept that cigar lit and in his mouth for the entirety of the shoot day,” Levy said. “I remember hearing the next day that Henry was sick to his stomach because he had been inhaling cigar smoke for eight hours straight, but never once did he waver.”
Levy elaborated further on Cavill’s Wolverine cameo in an interview with Variety, saying: “If we’re going to talk about him, we must call him by his actual credited name, the Cavillerine, which Ryan coined. I knew it was undeniable as soon as Ryan came up with that term. He said ‘yes’ right away because he knew it would be subversive and playful. It was also with a lot of affection for him and his body of work, and playing with his legacy as a DC hero now that he’s appearing as a variant of a Marvel hero.”
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
