The Only Professor X Recap You Need Before Avengers: Doomsday
Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier is a gift that keeps on giving, and a version of him will return once more in the cast of "Avengers: Doomsday." However, the character's complete history is even more complex than Stewart's arc in the role. Watch Looper's video above to get the full picture of the strange, messy life of Professor X.
Charles Xavier is the founder of the X-Men, debuting in the comic issue "X-Men" #1 in 1963. One of the most powerful telepaths in the Marvel universe, he spent his early years roaming the globe before losing the use of his legs and focusing on championing the mutant cause in his own way. However, just like his longtime frenemy Magneto, Xavier is a complex character whose motivations and allegiances shift over time. He's been a hero, a villain, a shadowy grey area operator, a ruthless manipulator, and a legitimately pure-hearted leader. While James McAvoy's tenure in the role has explored the character's moral complexity, the movies have rarely seen Professor X in full villain mode.
Professor X is a seasoned big screen veteran
"Avengers: Doomsday" is just one of many movies to feature Charles Xavier in some form. In the MCU alone, an alternate-universe version of the character has already featured in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Within the entire X-Men movie timeline, Stewart first turns up in 2000's "X-Men," becoming arguably just as instrumental to the franchise as Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), to the point that he features prominently in James Mangold's series outlier "Logan." The younger McAvoy version of Professor X has also been a staple in the series, and memorably, the two versions both appear in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
With Christopher Abbott taking over the role of Xavier for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe "X-Men" movie, the character will no doubt remain a recurring presence on-screen. As such, this is the perfect time to bring yourself up to date with Professor X lore — and watching Looper's video above will help you do precisely that.
"Avengers: Doomsday" premieres on December 18.