James McAvoy abruptly and hilariously addresses ‘Doctor Strange 2’ rumors

James McAvoy has addressed rumors of a potential Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness return. Due to the incoming sequel’s inter-dimensional scope, there’s room for everyone and anyone from the entire history of Marvel cinema to appear in the movie.

The only crossover cameo confirmed in the marketing so far, however, is Patrick Stewart as the older Professor X. So could McAvoy reprise his role as the young Charles Xavier, too?

In a word: no. The Dark Phoenix star had a hilariously abrupt response when asked by a fan if he’s going to be in Doctor Strange 2 while answering questions on Instagram Live. Check out what McAvoy had to say via the tweet below:

It’s worth pointing out Stewart initially denied that was his voice in the trailer before he eventually cracked and admitted his return, so some fans may be holding out hope that McAvoy is similarly telling a white lie here. However, the actor’s neutral expression in the video definitely seems genuine so we’re going to take his denial at face value for the moment. It might also be overkill to have both Xaviers in the same film, especially as that gimmick’s already been done in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

There’s still the potential for various other X-Men veterans to show up in Doctor Strange 2, though. Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool feels like a good bet, and Stewart could easily be joined by other original team members like, say, Halle Berry (Storm) or James Marsden (Cyclops), both of whom have said they’d be open to suiting up again in the past. At the very least, Stewart’s presence marks the first time the Children of the Atom will appear in the MCU, so that alone is huge.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness reveals its secrets when it opens in theaters in just six weeks on May 6.