Fans of the X-Men Movies franchise by 20th Century Fox and Marvel may have some disappointing news ahead of them, as a report by Yahoo! following a video interview with Sir Patrick Stewart on Larry King Now has gone online and confirmed the news that the older Professor X and Magneto, as played by Sir Ian McKellen, won’t be returning for Bryan Singer’s next X-Film outing in 2016 – “X-Men: Apocalypse“.
When Stewart was asked flat out by Larry King himself if he’s coming back as Professor X for the new sequel, the veteran English actor replied: “No. Nor Sir Ian McKellen either.” Also showing his surprise to the news, he added: “I was learning quite a lot about it last night, and it is going to be looking very much at the earlier lives of all our characters. And so I don’t think we’ll be making an appearance.”
The news comes after months of questions and clarification on whether the men who have played the wiser incarnations of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr would be set to return following their comeback appearance alongside their younger counterparts in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, which was also directed by Singer and featured an all-star cast line-up of X-Men film actors past and present. The studios quickly commissioned another sequel in the aforementioned X-Men: Apocalypse, which would take place in 1983 and complete the new trilogy of X-Films that began with 2011’s X-Men: First Class.
Expected and confirmed to return of course are the younger cast of X-Men actors from First Class, including James McAvoy as Charles Xavier/ Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/ Magneto.
Following Days of Future Past, the torch has clearly been passed to these two incredible young actors, who have proven time and again through their respective careers and portrayals as these characters that they’re the right men for the job.
While Stewart and McKellen are not going to be back for Apocalypse, there’s a good chance the two legends may pop up somewhere again in the X-Men film franchise. Spinoffs are in the works with Channing Tatum all geared up to be Gambit and Ryan Reynolds returning as Deadpool, as well as another Wolverine film with Hugh Jackman back as Logan, so never say never.
X-Men: Apocalypse will be released in theaters on May 27, 2016.