Patrick Stewart Addresses Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Speculation ... Enigmatically

Marvel fans have long awaited the introduction of the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The characters belonged to 20th Century Fox for years, making crossovers difficult at best. After the Disney acquired Fox, things changed, and now there's plenty of potential for everyone's favorite mutants to appear in the MCU. In the recent trailer for "Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," we hear someone whose voice sounds very similar to Sir Patrick Stewart's Professor X as the existence of the MCU's Illuminati is seemingly revealed.

While the idea of the beloved Professor as a member of a secret cabal seems far-fetched to many fans of the "X-Men" films, it's not too outside of the realm of possibility for where he's gone through the comics over the years ... but is it actually him? Well, if it is, then Sir Patrick's not allowed to say so yet.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Stewart did his best Andrew Garfield, dodging giving a definitive answer with a bit of coy humor. After all, Marvel Studios does like to keep its secrets. While the actor didn't explicitly deny being in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," he did emphasize that a Patrick Stewart-esque voice isn't proof of anything:

"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."

While now seems like the perfect time to bring the mutants into the MCU, Stewart has been reticent to don Cerebro once more. After the emotional ending in "Logan," Stewart told press that he was retiring from the franchise completely. There were talks between Stewart and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in 2020, but Stewart was not keen on revisiting the character then, either. So it's entirely possible that this is some kind of Marvel switcheroo, or just a marketing gimmick, and that Stewart is out for good (or he's been replaced with a body double and a robot voice). The cynic in me, however, thinks that he's simply not allowed to talk about the fact that he's back, and he's bringing out his best question-dodging tactics. He is an actor, after all.

The trailer for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" looks like it's drawing heavily from the "House of M" run of comics, which saw Scarlet Witch turn the world upside down after a trauma. We already know Wanda is capable of some serious reality twisting, so they could be setting her up to be a big bad like she was in the comics. Only time will tell, but if we get to see her face off against her comic book dad, Magneto (played in the Fox movies by Ian McKellen/Michael Fassbender), this X-Men fan might die of happiness. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is about exploring the multiverse, so who knows? Whatever happens, it's exciting. 

We'll find out if that's actually Patrick Stewart or not when "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" hits theaters on May 6, 2022.