3 minSociety
Marvel Studios and Hugh Jackman pay tribute to Patrick Stewart after his death at 86
Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios and Hugh Jackman have honored Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor best known as Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier, who died at 86 after a brief battle with Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia.
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and chief operating officer of Marvel, has paid tribute to the acclaimed actor Sir Patrick Stewart, who died at age 86. Stewart, best known for playing Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Charles Xavier in Marvel's X-Men films, died on Wednesday, October 28, after a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. His family announced his death in a public statement the following day, October 29.
Feige, speaking in a eulogy first reported by Variety, recalled his first encounter with Stewart on the set of the original X-Men film. "After years of knowing him as the inimitable Captain Picard, I was in awe," Feige said. "He turned out to be everything I had seen on screen and more: brilliant, charming, warm, generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas." He added that Stewart was even more remarkable away from the cameras, with a sharp sense of humor, and described his legacy as living on in decades of extraordinary work and in the many people he mentored.
Marvel Studios also issued a statement on its official account on X. It said the studio was deeply saddened by Stewart's passing and credited him with bringing Professor Charles Xavier to life with grace, intelligence and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans across X-Men, Logan and Avengers: Doomsday. The statement described him as a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman, and extended condolences to his wife, Sunny, his children, his friends and fans around the world.
Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Stewart as Wolverine in the X-Men films, shared a tribute on Instagram with two photographs from their time working together. "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today," Jackman wrote. "And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days."
Avengers: Doomsday is Stewart's final film performance, in which he was set to reprise his role as Charles Xavier. His career spanned film, television, video games and stage plays, and fans have gathered online to mourn him, many of them quoting a line from his Charles Xavier: "Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever."
In lieu of flowers, Stewart's family asked friends and fans to make donations to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
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