5 Best Patrick Stewart Sci-Fi Roles, Ranked

On October 28, 2026, Star Trek and X-Men icon Patrick Stewart died, and the world lost a true icon of the acting profession. A classically trained Shakespearean performer, Stewart brought immense presence and gravitas to just about every project he was in –- and while he continued to act on stage and appear in all sorts of screen roles throughout his career, fate led him to become one of the most esteemed science fiction actors of his (and possibly any other) generation.

It is perhaps surprising to learn that despite the massive impact Stewart had on the sci-fi genre, he didn't actually appear in all that many science fiction roles. While it's pretty easy to pinpoint which one of them was the most prominent, the handful of non-Star Trek sci-fi universes he explored are also well worth checking out. Let's take a moment to look into Patrick Stewart's five best sci-fi roles.

Patrick Stewart's 1980s sci-fi epic "Dune" became a cult classic after failing at the box office. Well, technically speaking, it's David Lynch's "Dune," but since we're on the subject of Stewart, we can't help but highlight his captivating turn as the 1984 film's incarnation of Gurney Halleck, the Warmaster of House Atreides.

Halleck is memorably played by Josh Brolin in Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" movies, but make no mistake, Stewart's version is a force to be reckoned with. A far cry from Halleck's unattractive portrayal in Frank Herbert's source material, Stewart's take is a charismatic proto-Picard who commands every frame.

Interestingly, the disparity between the book Halleck and the Stewart one was actually due to a casting mishap. "The fact is David Lynch thought he had cast somebody else," Stewart stated during an appearance at Emerald City Comic Con in 2013 (via The Hollywood Reporter). Intended casting or not, Stewart certainly left his mark.

To give you an idea of just how few sci-fi roles Patrick Stewart tackled during his career, more than one entry on this list are voice roles. First is the long-gestating follow-up to Katsuhiro Otomo's legendary 1988 anime movie "Akira" –- 2004's "Steamboy."

"Steamboy" is set in the year 1863, in an alternate timeline where the Steam family's steam engine inventions have led to some unique technologies. Patrick Stewart voices the family patriarch and talented inventor Lloyd Steam in the English-speaking version of the movie, and his well-meaning but somewhat reckless methods cause a rift between him and his more military-minded cyborg son Eddy (Alfred Molina). The film's 13-year-old protagonist, James Ray Steam (Anna Paquin), has to decide whose vision he ultimately believes — while reimagining himself as a steam-powered superhero who can fly and use various gadgets.

"Steamboy" never reached the phenomenal pop culture heights that "Akira" still occupies, but it's an utterly beautiful movie with an interesting plot. The sheer talent behind the voices of the Steam family keeps the acting on point, too, and Stewart, Paquin, and Molina all help make their characters as memorable as possible.

"Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" is a must-watch Nickelodeon animated movie, and not least because it features Patrick Stewart in a rare villainous sci-fi role. Stewart has the opportunity to go full ham as the smarmy King Goobot V, leader of the Yolkian race that descends on Earth and abducts every adult human. His vocal performance here is a far cry from his usual, restrained gravitas. Instead, Goobot purrs, coos, roars, giggles, and generally wears his heart on his sleeve in ways that few live-action Stewart characters have the opportunity to do.

As Looper's sister site /Film has noted, Patrick Stewart was an underrated comedic genius, and his voice roles allowed him to show off that side of his talent. While his long-running role as CIA Director Avery Bullock on "American Dad" might be his tour de force in this arena, there's little denying that the nefarious and outlandish King Goobot V is his funniest sci-fi part by far. 

Is it a stretch to call the X-Men franchise science fiction? With the amount of time travel, high-tech contraptions, and powerful mutants running about, we'd argue that it very much isn't. 

Easily the second most prominent role in Patrick Stewart's sizable résumé, Charles "Professor X" Xavier is the very reason the mutant superteam exists. The powerful telepath is usually portrayed as the main benevolent force in the world of mutants, using his wealth and influence to provide a sanctuary to those who would otherwise be persecuted, imprisoned, or experimented on. 

Between 2000's "X-Men" and the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday," Stewart's Xavier has played a number of roles across the X-Men movie timeline. The most memorable version of the character might be from James Mangold's dystopian 2017 film "Logan," which depicts an elderly Xavier who's been rendered unstable by age and illness. The amount of soul Stewart pours into the film must be seen to be believed.   

Looper's choice for the best captain of the USS Enterprise is also Patrick Stewart's defining science fiction role. The esteemed stage actor was untested as a genre fiction series lead when he tackled the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and the cerebral and diplomatic character was an unlikely successor to the brash Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Yet, as history has shown, the unconventional recipe of a British Shakespearean performer and a sophisticated Starfleet captain created a dish for the ages. 

Stewart himself credited Star Trek as the most important thing in his life, and he wasn't just paying lip service. He returned to Picard time and time again, to the point of making three seasons of "Star Trek: Picard" well into his 80s. With that kind of dedication, it's clear that Jean-Luc Picard isn't just the most important sci-fi role in Stewart's incredible career — it's the most important role in his life, bar none.