Sir Patrick Stewart has played the X-Men franchise's iconic leader, Professor Charles Xavier, in eight distinct films over the course of more than two decades, with his most recent appearance occurring earlier this month in the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
While Charles has had many high points in his life and career as the founder of the X-Men, he has also suffered unspeakable losses over his many years. This is a man who seems destined to endure tragedy, no matter what franchise - or universe - he happens to inhabit.
When He's Shot
In the climactic standoff between two mutant factions at the end of X-Men: First Class, Erik Lensherr, Magneto, makes his stand for mutantkind, declaring them to be superior to humans, a distinct divergence from Xavier's philosophy. In the ensuing chaos, Magneto deflects a bullet shot by Moira MacTaggart, accidentally hitting Charles in the spine, paralyzing him from the waist down.
From this moment, Charles's life would never be the same. Forced to take on a wheelchair, which would later become an iconic accessory to his character, Charles would never again have the mobility he once did. Worse, he would always be tormented by the knowledge that this paralysis had been caused by a man he had considered a friend.
When Erik Falls
After joining forces to defeat the villainous Sebastian Shaw as he attempts to wipe out all of humanity, Charles and Erik learn that they have very different motivations for stopping the maniacal leader of the Hellfire Club. Erik breaks from Charles's team and declares himself in opposition to helping humanity, beginning a rivalry between the two that would span the course of their lives.
Much of First Class was dedicated to the forging of Charles and Erik's friendship, as the two learned to put aside their differences to work toward a common goal. However, all this would quickly be snatched away as the two came to realize that they would never see eye-to-eye when it came to humanity. Ultimately, theirs was a friendship doomed from the very beginning.
When Mystique "Turns"
X-Men: First Class rewrote the origin of several important X-Men characters, including one surprising storyline wherein Charles Xavier and Mystique are revealed to have been foster siblings. However, despite their closeness, Mystique chooses to side with Magneto after the Cuban Missile Crisis, betraying Charles and leaving the X-Men behind.
While the betrayal of Erik was obviously difficult for Charles, that of Mystique was even worse. These two had grown up together and trusted one another implicitly, but ultimately could not agree on the most important subjects of their lives as X-Men. From that moment, Charles and Mystique's relationship would never be as it once was.
When His First Students Are Drafted
When Logan first encounters the younger version of Charles in the '70s, he is a worn and beaten man, having turned to alcohol to get himself through the day. It is later revealed the beginning of his troubles had been when his first class of X-Men had been drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, effectively destroying everything he had built over the last decade.
This revelation turns the happy elements of First Class's ending on their head, making even the formation of the X-Men a tragedy for Charles, who must send off his beloved students to a losing fight halfway around the world. Fortunately for Charles, some of these mutants would still manage to return to the franchise, though most of these characters were ultimately failed by Fox's X-Men franchise.
When The Dark Phoenix Descended Into Madness (Twice)
Fox's superhero franchise attempted to adapt one of the best X-Men stories of all time, "The Dark Phoenix Saga," on two separate occasions. Both of these films, X-Men: The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix, depict the beloved mutant Jean Grey finding herself consumed by an otherworldly power that leads her to commit several heinous crimes that alter the course of the X-Men's future.
There is nothing that Charles Xavier cares for more than his students. This makes it all the more tragic when one of them stumbles and loses their way so spectacularly. Jean is perhaps the best example of this, as her lack of control over her powers led to the deaths of several innocents, and, eventually, her own demise.
When He's Killed By Jean Grey
X-Men: The Last Stand featured a number of shocking scenes, not the least of which was the unexpected and rather sudden death of Charles Xavier himself. Halfway through the film, Charles confronts the flailing Jean, only to be pulverized by the Phoenix's unparalleled power.
While Charles is an incredibly powerful mutant, he would learn the hard way that his powers did not stand a chance against that of the Phoenix Force. The professor ultimately met an early demise at the hands of his own student, one whom he had raised since she was a child. While Charles would eventually return, this moment was undoubtedly a traumatic experience for him.
When He Lives In A Dystopian Future
The opening of X-Men: Days of Future Past presents a dystopian future wherein mutants are hunted by Sentinels, humungous robots designed specifically to kill mutants and absorb their power. In sheer desperation, the remaining X-Men and members of the Brotherhood of Mutants unite in order to survive a terrifying new world.
The ultimate goal of Charles Xavier's X-Men was always to forge a world wherein mutants and humans could co-exist peacefully. The existence of this dystopian future proves their failure to do so, as mutants are systematically subjugated and hunted, bringing about an end to Xavier's lifelong quest for harmony between the two species.
When The X-Men Are Killed
Logan is considered by many to be the best film in the X-Men franchise, in part because of its willingness to invite tragedy into its story. This is particularly evident in the unspoken but heavily implied backstory that Charles's telepathic seizures had killed the X-Men.
Logan is filled with tragedy unlike any other film in the franchise, dealing with incredibly heavy subject matter. Even with all this tribulation, there is perhaps nothing worse than the idea that Charles had caused the death of the X-Men. As the man who painstakingly built the team, raising several of its members since childhood, Charles must have felt an overwhelming sense of guilt regarding having caused their early deaths.
When He's Killed By X-24
Logan was not only one of the best X-Men films of all time but was also one of the best storylines for the Wolverine in the franchise. In this film, Logan is forced to say goodbye to his mentor, who was murdered by a brainless clone of himself, known only as X-24.
While Charles might have been on the brink of death throughout the events of Logan, he certainly wasn't expecting to be killed by a man with the face of his only surviving friend. The ailing professor still didn't seem to quite understand what had happened at the time of his death, never becoming aware that Logan had been cloned by Transigen.
When He's Killed By Scarlet Witch
Many fans were shocked and excited to learn that Sir Patrick Stewart would be returning to reprise his role as Professor Charles Xavier for the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, they would be even more shocked by his unexpectedly small role in the film, as the Earth-838 version of the mutant leader found himself unceremoniously disposed of by the vengeful Scarlet Witch, who psychically snapped his neck.
While this version of Professor X is unique to Multiverse of Madness, he still resembles the beloved Fox variant enough to warrant an immediate connection with the audience, making his gruesome demise all the more difficult to watch. Even worse, the leader of Earth-838's Illuminati had been attempting to help Wanda when she killed him, marking an unceremonious death for one of the world's greatest heroes.